What are mutex design patterns in programming?

What are mutex design patterns in programming?

Mutex design patterns are techniques used to manage access to shared resources in concurrent programming, ensuring data integrity.

Can you explain how a mutex works?

A mutex, or mutual exclusion, is a synchronization primitive that allows only one thread to access a resource at a time, preventing race conditions.

What are some common mutex design patterns?

Common mutex design patterns include the lock-and-unlock pattern, reader-writer locks, and the use of condition variables.

When should I use a mutex?

You should use a mutex when multiple threads need to read from or write to shared data to avoid inconsistencies and ensure thread safety.