What are reentrant functions and can you give me some examples?

What are reentrant functions and can you give me some examples?

Reentrant functions are functions that can be interrupted and safely called again ('re-entered') before the previous executions are complete. They are crucial in multi-threaded programming. An example is the strtok function in C, which is not reentrant, while strdup is reentrant because it does not maintain static data.

Can you explain why reentrant functions are important?

Reentrant functions are important because they allow safe execution in concurrent environments, preventing data corruption and ensuring that multiple threads can operate without interfering with each other.

What are some common use cases for reentrant functions?

Common use cases include signal handlers, interrupt service routines, and any situation where a function might be called simultaneously from multiple threads.

How can I make a function reentrant?

To make a function reentrant, avoid using static or global variables, and ensure that all data is passed through parameters or allocated on the stack.