1. Multitasking re-write
- Posted by jaygade Oct 23, 2009
- 1189 views
Can you guys enlighten us interested parties what is changing in the multitasking rewrite? Just a summary?
2. Re: Multitasking re-write
- Posted by jimcbrown (admin) Oct 23, 2009
- 1146 views
Can you guys enlighten us interested parties what is changing in the multitasking rewrite? Just a summary?
The basic functionality is the same, so you won't see any difference in the API.
The backend for the translator uses threads now instead of the stack smashing hacks it used to use. This was done because the previous hacks failed on recent linux distros (believed to be due to anti stack cracking protection) and on MinGW on Windows (the cause issue here isn't as clear). This isn't multithreading though, tasks still run one at a time.
Basically, all the changes are behind-the-scenes, and you shouldn't notice unless something breaks.
3. Re: Multitasking re-write
- Posted by mattlewis (admin) Oct 23, 2009
- 1182 views
The backend for the translator uses threads now instead of the stack smashing hacks it used to use.
It's threads on *nix, but fibers on Windows, since Windows fibers are, themselves, a system for cooperative multitasking. It just made more sense to use them where they were available.
Matt
4. Re: Multitasking re-write
- Posted by jimcbrown (admin) Oct 23, 2009
- 1152 views
It's threads on *nix, but fibers on Windows, since Windows fibers are, themselves, a system for cooperative multitasking. It just made more sense to use them where they were available.
Matt
I had assumed that fibers was just a library on top of native Windows threads.
5. Re: Multitasking re-write
- Posted by jaygade Oct 23, 2009
- 1160 views
No, I didn't necessarily expect to see any API-level changes. It was just basic curiosity.
Huh. I've never heard of "fibers". Interesting.
6. Re: Multitasking re-write
- Posted by jimcbrown (admin) Oct 23, 2009
- 1150 views
No, I didn't necessarily expect to see any API-level changes. It was just basic curiosity.
Huh. I've never heard of "fibers". Interesting.
Me either. I never bothered to look into it.
BTW, MinGW (which lacks pthreads emulation or support) uses fibers as well.
7. Re: Multitasking re-write
- Posted by mattlewis (admin) Oct 23, 2009
- 1189 views
Huh. I've never heard of "fibers". Interesting.
Yeah, I first read about them on Raymond Chen's blog. The fibers API is in the same place as the threads documentation on MSDN. Or was when I last looked a couple of weeks ago, but who knows when the next MSDN reorg will occur.
Matt
