What are the differences between event flags and semaphores?

What are the differences between event flags and semaphores?

Event flags and semaphores are both synchronization mechanisms used in concurrent programming, but they serve different purposes. Semaphores are used to control access to a resource by multiple threads, while event flags are used to signal between threads.

Can you explain how semaphores work?

Sure! A semaphore maintains a count that represents the number of available resources. When a thread wants to access a resource, it decrements the count. If the count is zero, the thread must wait until another thread releases a resource and increments the count.

What about event flags? How do they function?

Event flags allow threads to communicate by signaling that an event has occurred. A thread can set an event flag, and other threads can wait for that flag to be set before proceeding, enabling coordination between them.

Which one is better to use in a specific scenario?

It depends on the scenario. Use semaphores when you need to manage access to a limited resource, and use event flags when you need to signal between threads without resource management.