When should I use busy waiting?

What is busy waiting and when should I use it?

Busy waiting is a technique where a process repeatedly checks for a condition to be true. It's often used in low-level programming.

Are there specific scenarios where busy waiting is preferred?

Yes, busy waiting can be useful in scenarios where the wait time is expected to be very short, such as in real-time systems.

What are the downsides of using busy waiting?

The main downside is that it can waste CPU resources, as the process consumes cycles while waiting instead of yielding to other processes.

Are there alternatives to busy waiting?

Yes, alternatives include blocking waits, where a process sleeps until a condition is met, or using synchronization primitives like semaphores.