What is a semaphore in programming?

What is a semaphore in programming?

A semaphore is a synchronization primitive used to control access to a common resource in concurrent programming.

How does a semaphore work?

A semaphore maintains a count that represents the number of available resources. Threads can increment or decrement this count to signal availability.

Can you give me an example of how to use a semaphore?

Sure! In Python, you can use the threading module's Semaphore class to limit access to a resource. Here's a simple example.

What happens if a thread tries to acquire a semaphore that is already at zero?

If a thread tries to acquire a semaphore that is at zero, it will block until another thread releases the semaphore, increasing the count.