STC arc: Atomic Reference Counted Smart Pointer
arc is a smart pointer that retains shared ownership of an object through a pointer. Several arc objects may own the same object. The object is destroyed and its memory deallocated when the last remaining arc owning the object is destroyed with arc_X_drop();
The object is destroyed using arc_X_drop(). A arc may also own no objects, in which
case it is called empty. The arc_X_cmp(), arc_X_drop() methods are defined based on
the i_cmp
and i_keydrop
macros specified. Use arc_X_clone(p) when sharing ownership of
the pointed-to object.
All arc functions can be called by multiple threads on different instances of arc without additional synchronization even if these instances are copies and share ownership of the same object. arc uses thread-safe atomic reference counting, through the arc_X_clone() and arc_X_drop() methods.
When declaring a container with shared pointers, define i_key_arcbox
with the arc type, see example.
See similar c++ class std::shared_ptr for a functional reference, or Rust std::sync::Arc / std::rc::Rc.
#define i_TYPE <ct>,<kt> // shorthand to define i_type,i_key
#define i_type <t> // arc container type name (default: arc_{i_key})
#define i_key <t> // element type: REQUIRED. Defines arc_X_value
#define i_cmp <f> // three-way compareison. REQUIRED IF i_key is a non-integral type
// Note that containers of arcs will "inherit" i_cmp
// when using arc in containers with i_val_arcbox MyArc - ie. the i_type.
#define i_use_cmp // may be defined instead of i_cmp when i_key is an integral/native-type.
#define i_keydrop <f> // destroy element func - defaults to empty destruct
#define i_keyclone <f> // REQUIRED if i_keydrop is defined, unless 'i_opt c_no_clone' is defined.
#define i_keyraw <t> // convertion type (lookup): default to {i_key}
#define i_keyto <f> // convertion func i_key* => i_keyraw: REQUIRED IF i_keyraw defined.
#define i_keyfrom <f> // from-raw func.
#define i_opt c_no_atomic // Non-atomic reference counting, like Rust Rc.
#define i_tag <s> // alternative typename: arc_{i_tag}. i_tag defaults to i_key
#include "stc/arc.h"
X
should be replaced by the value of i_tag
in all of the following documentation.
arc_X arc_X_init(); // empty shared pointer
arc_X arc_X_from(i_keyraw raw); // create an arc from raw type (available if i_keyraw defined by user).
arc_X arc_X_from_ptr(i_key* p); // create an arc from raw pointer. Takes ownership of p.
arc_X arc_X_make(i_key key); // create an arc from constructed key object. Faster than from_ptr().
arc_X arc_X_clone(arc_X other); // return other with increased use count
arc_X arc_X_move(arc_X* self); // transfer ownership to receiver; self becomes NULL
void arc_X_take(arc_X* self, arc_X unowned); // take ownership of unowned.
void arc_X_assign(arc_X* self, arc_X other); // shared assign (increases use count)
void arc_X_drop(arc_X* self); // destruct (decrease use count, free at 0)
long arc_X_use_count(const arc_X* self);
void arc_X_reset(arc_X* self);
void arc_X_reset_to(arc_X* self, i_key* p); // assign new arc from ptr. Takes ownership of p.
uint64_t arc_X_hash(const arc_X* x); // hash value
int arc_X_cmp(const arc_X* x, const arc_X* y); // compares pointer addresses if no `i_cmp` is specified.
// is defined. Otherwise uses 'i_cmp' or default cmp.
bool arc_X_eq(const arc_X* x, const arc_X* y); // arc_X_cmp() == 0
// functions on pointed to objects.
uint64_t arc_X_value_hash(const i_key* x);
int arc_X_value_cmp(const i_key* x, const i_key* y);
bool arc_X_value_eq(const i_key* x, const i_key* y);
Type name | Type definition | Used to represent... |
---|---|---|
arc_null |
{0} |
Init nullptr const |
arc_X |
struct { arc_X_value* get; long* use_count; } |
The arc type |
arc_X_value |
i_key |
The arc element type |
arc_X_raw |
i_keyraw |
Convertion type |
// Create two stacks with arcs to maps.
// Demonstrate sharing and cloning of maps.
// Show elements dropped.
#define i_implement
#include "stc/cstr.h"
#define i_type Map
#define i_key_str // i_key: cstr, i_keydrop: cstr_drop, etc..
#define i_val int // year
// override cstr_drop(p) by defining i_keydrop:
#define i_keydrop(p) (printf(" drop name: %s\n", cstr_str(p)), cstr_drop(p))
#include "stc/smap.h"
#define i_type Arc // (atomic) ref. counted pointer
#define i_key Map
#define i_keydrop(p) (printf("drop Arc:\n"), Map_drop(p))
#include "stc/arc.h"
#define i_type Stack
#define i_key_arcbox Arc // Note: use i_key_arcbox for arc or box value types
#include "stc/stack.h"
int main(void)
{
Stack s1 = {0}, s2 = {0};
Map *map;
// POPULATE s1 with shared pointers to Map:
map = Stack_push(&s1, Arc_make(Map_init()))->get; // push empty map to s1.
Map_emplace(map, "Joey", 1990);
Map_emplace(map, "Mary", 1995);
Map_emplace(map, "Joanna", 1992);
map = Stack_push(&s1, Arc_make(Map_init()))->get;
Map_emplace(map, "Rosanna", 2001);
Map_emplace(map, "Brad", 1999);
Map_emplace(map, "Jack", 1980);
// POPULATE s2:
map = Stack_push(&s2, Arc_make(Map_init()))->get;
Map_emplace(map, "Steve", 1979);
Map_emplace(map, "Rick", 1974);
Map_emplace(map, "Tracy", 2003);
// Share two Maps from s1 with s2 by cloning(=sharing) the arcs:
Stack_push(&s2, Arc_clone(s1.data[0]));
Stack_push(&s2, Arc_clone(s1.data[1]));
// Deep-copy (does not share) a Map from s1 to s2.
// s2 will contain two shared and two unshared maps.
map = Stack_push(&s2, Arc_from(Map_clone(*s1.data[1].get)))->get;
// Add one more element to the cloned map:
Map_emplace_or_assign(map, "Cloned", 2022);
// Add one more element to the shared map:
Map_emplace_or_assign(s1.data[1].get, "Shared", 2022);
puts("S1");
c_foreach (i, Stack, s1) {
c_forpair (name, year, Map, *i.ref->get)
printf(" %s:%d", cstr_str(_.name), *_.year);
puts("");
}
puts("S2");
c_foreach (i, Stack, s2) {
c_forpair (name, year, Map, *i.ref->get)
printf(" %s:%d", cstr_str(_.name), *_.year);
puts("");
}
puts("");
c_drop(Stack, &s1, &s2);
}
Output:
S1
Joanna:1992 Joey:1990 Mary:1995
Brad:1999 Jack:1980 Rosanna:2001 Shared:2022
S2
Rick:1974 Steve:1979 Tracy:2003
Joanna:1992 Joey:1990 Mary:1995
Brad:1999 Jack:1980 Rosanna:2001 Shared:2022
Brad:1999 Cloned:2022 Jack:1980 Rosanna:2001
drop Arc:
drop name: Rick
drop name: Tracy
drop name: Steve
drop Arc:
drop name: Cloned
drop name: Brad
drop name: Rosanna
drop name: Jack
drop Arc:
drop name: Brad
drop name: Shared
drop name: Rosanna
drop name: Jack
drop Arc:
drop name: Joanna
drop name: Mary
drop name: Joey