pthread_join() and pthread_exit()

Question

I have a question about C concurrency programming.

In the pthread library, the prototype of pthread_join is

int pthread_join(pthread_t tid, void **ret);

and the prototype of pthread_exit is:

void pthread_exit(void *ret);

So I am confused that, why pthread_join takes the return value of the process as a pointer to a void pointer from reaped thread, but pthread_exit only takes a void pointer from the exited thread? I mean basically they are all return values from a thread, why there is a difference in type?

Solution 1

In pthread_exit, ret is an input parameter. You are simply passing the address of a variable to the function.

In pthread_join, ret is an output parameter. You get back a value from the function. Such value can, for example, be set to NULL.

Long explanation:

In pthread_join, you get back the address passed to pthread_exit by the finished thread. If you pass just a plain pointer, it is passed by value so you can't change where it is pointing to. To be able to change the value of the pointer passed to pthread_join, it must be passed as a pointer itself, that is, a pointer to a pointer.

Solution 2

It because every time

void pthread_exit(void *ret);

will be called from thread function so which ever you want to return simply its pointer pass with pthread_exit().

Now at

int pthread_join(pthread_t tid, void **ret);

will be always called from where thread is created so here to accept that returned pointer you need double pointer ..

i think this code will help you to understand this

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <pthread.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

void* thread_function(void *ignoredInThisExample)
{
    char *a = malloc(10);
    strcpy(a,"hello world");
    pthread_exit((void*)a);
}
int main()
{
    pthread_t thread_id;
    char *b;

    pthread_create (&thread_id, NULL,&thread_function, NULL);

    pthread_join(thread_id,(void**)&b); //here we are reciving one pointer 
                                        value so to use that we need double pointer 
    printf("b is %s\n",b); 
    free(b); // lets free the memory

}

Solution 3

The typical use is

void* ret = NULL;
pthread_t tid = something; /// change it suitably
if (pthread_join (tid, &ret)) 
   handle_error();
// do something with the return value ret

Comments

[stonestrong]

But why define ret in pthread_exit a void * type, it'a always NULL or some other constant values

[M. Smith]

Why do you have to free(b) if it's in main()? Is this because you allocated a on the heap?