What are locks and condition variables in programming?

What are locks and condition variables in programming?

Locks are mechanisms that prevent multiple threads from accessing shared resources simultaneously, ensuring data integrity. Condition variables are used to synchronize threads, allowing them to wait for certain conditions to be met before proceeding.

Can you give me an example of how to use a lock?

Sure! In Python, you can use the threading.Lock class. Here's a simple example:

import threading

lock = threading.Lock()

def thread_safe_function():
    with lock:
        # critical section of code
        print('Lock acquired, executing...')

What about condition variables? How do they work?

Condition variables allow threads to wait for certain conditions to be true. In Python, you can use threading.Condition. Here's an example:

import threading

condition = threading.Condition()

def wait_for_condition():
    with condition:
        condition.wait()  # Wait until notified
        print('Condition met, proceeding...')

Are there any potential issues with using locks?

Yes, using locks can lead to issues like deadlocks, where two or more threads are waiting indefinitely for each other to release locks. It's important to design your locking strategy carefully.