Ion Gaztañaga wrote:
Sorry if this is not the place to discuss it, ...
Where else? ;-)
... but if we have some discussion about threads, I always wondered why thread () constructor launches automatically a thread in constructor. This means that when you code an active class (I mean, I class that represent a task in other thread), if you want to start it on demand, you must use dynamic memory constructing the object in heap. I mainly work in embedded systems that may not have dynamic memory and I think an static way should be provided, since those systems do have threads. I would prefer an option like this: class work_in_other_thread { work_in_other_thread(const boost::function0<void>& func) : m_thread(func){}
void start_work() { //this function does not exist in boost threads m_thread.start(); }
private: boost::thread m_thread; };
instead of :
class work_in_other_thread { work_in_other_thread(const boost::function0<void>& func) : mp_thread(0), m_func(func) {}
void start_work() { m_thread = new boost::thread(m_func); }
private: std::auto_ptr<boost::thread> mp_thread; boost::function0<void> m_func; };
Use aligned_storage<> and placement new.
I see also dynamic memory in proxy functions in the code, but I think it's an implementation detail that could be optimized in systems when needed, storing needed data in boost::thread class if it is a joinable thread.
This would force you to keep the boost::thread object alive for the duration of the thread; the function object needs to be stored somewhere.