What are some real-world examples of race conditions?

What are some real-world examples of race conditions?

Race conditions occur when multiple processes access shared resources concurrently, leading to unpredictable outcomes. A classic example is in banking systems, where two transactions might try to update the same account balance simultaneously.

Can you give me another example?

Sure! In web applications, if two users submit a form at the same time, it might result in conflicting data being saved, like two users trying to book the last seat on a flight.

How can race conditions be prevented?

Race conditions can be prevented using techniques like locking mechanisms, where a resource is locked for one process until it's done, or by using atomic operations that ensure a sequence of operations is completed without interruption.

Are there any programming languages that help avoid race conditions?

Yes, some programming languages and frameworks provide built-in support for concurrency control, such as Go with its goroutines and channels, or Rust with its ownership model that prevents data races.