How do I create threads using pthreads in C?

How do I create threads using pthreads in C?

To create threads using pthreads in C, you can use the pthread_create function. Here's a basic example:

#include <pthread.h>
#include <stdio.h>

void* threadFunction(void* arg) {
    printf("Thread is running!\n");
    return NULL;
}

int main() {
    pthread_t thread;
    pthread_create(&thread, NULL, threadFunction, NULL);
    pthread_join(thread, NULL);
    return 0;
}

This code creates a thread that runs threadFunction.

What are the parameters for pthread_create?

The pthread_create function takes four parameters:

1. A pointer to a pthread_t variable to hold the thread ID.
2. Thread attributes (or NULL for default attributes).
3. The function that the thread will execute.
4. An argument to pass to the thread function (or NULL if not needed).

How do I handle thread synchronization?

To handle thread synchronization in pthreads, you can use mutexes. You can create a mutex with pthread_mutex_init, lock it with pthread_mutex_lock, and unlock it with pthread_mutex_unlock. Here's a simple example:

pthread_mutex_t mutex;

pthread_mutex_init(&mutex, NULL);

pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
// Critical section
pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);

pthread_mutex_destroy(&mutex);

Can you explain what a race condition is?

A race condition occurs when two or more threads access shared data and try to change it at the same time. If the threads are not synchronized properly, it can lead to inconsistent or unexpected results.