What are mutexes and how do they work in multithreading?

What are mutexes and how do they work in multithreading?

Mutexes, or mutual exclusions, are synchronization primitives used to prevent multiple threads from accessing shared resources simultaneously.

Why is it important to use mutexes in a multithreaded environment?

Using mutexes is crucial to avoid race conditions, which can lead to inconsistent data and unpredictable behavior in applications.

Can you give me an example of how to implement a mutex in code?

Sure! In C++, you can use the std::mutex class. Here's a simple example:

#include <iostream>
#include <thread>
#include <mutex>

std::mutex mtx;

void print(int id) {
    mtx.lock();
    std::cout << "Thread " << id << " is running." << std::endl;
    mtx.unlock();
}

int main() {
    std::thread t1(print, 1);
    std::thread t2(print, 2);
    t1.join();
    t2.join();
    return 0;
}

What are some common pitfalls when using mutexes?

Common pitfalls include deadlocks, where two or more threads wait indefinitely for each other to release mutexes, and forgetting to unlock a mutex, which can lead to resource leaks.