Rust: Locks vs Atomics - Which to Use?

What are the main differences between locks and atomics in Rust?

Locks in Rust provide mutual exclusion, allowing only one thread to access a resource at a time, while atomics allow for lock-free concurrency by enabling threads to read and write shared data without locks.

When should I use locks instead of atomics?

You should use locks when you need to protect complex data structures or when operations require multiple steps that must be atomic. Atomics are better for simple counters or flags.

Are there performance implications when choosing between them?

Yes, locks can introduce overhead due to context switching and potential contention, while atomics can be faster but may lead to more complex code and potential issues like the ABA problem.

Can you give an example of using both in a Rust program?

Sure! For instance, you might use an atomic integer for a simple counter and a mutex lock for a shared vector that multiple threads modify.