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Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually

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Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> writes:
> Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > What is it about the volatile attribute that makes it
> > insufficient in your mind to the problem presented by
> > threaded code?
> 
> Let's take a specific example:
> 
>     volatile int a = 1, b = 2;
> 
>     ... start up threads X and Y ...
> 
>     ... in parallel ... {
> 
>         ... in thread X ... {
>             a = 3;
>             b = 4;    
>         }
> 
>         ... in thread Y ... {
>             printf( "a = %d\n", a );
>             printf( "b = %d\n", b );
>         }
>     
>     }
> 
> Question: what values for a and b might thread Y print?
> 
> Answer:  Besides the obvious possibilities of {1,2}, {3,2},
> and {3,4}, the Standard allows a conforming implementation
> to define volatile access in such a way that thread Y might
> print 1 for a but 4 for b.  In other words, using volatile
> is not enough to guarantee write ordering. 

The two reads and two writes can be sequenced 6 ways.

ra rb wa wb  - {1,2}
ra wa rb wb  - {1,2}
ra wa wb rb  - {1,4}
wa ra rb wb  - {3,2}
wa ra wb rb  - {3,4}
wa wb ra rb  - {3,4}

{1.4} is not a violation of write ordering - wa is still
before wb.

Changing the order of the two printfs in thread Y would yield

rb ra wa wb  - {2,1}
rb wa ra wb  - {2,3}
rb wa wb ra  - {2,3}
wa rb ra wb  - {2,3}
wa rb wb ra  - {2,3}
wa wb rb ra  - {4,3}

Here the reversed output {4,1} is impossible, as it violates
the write ordering in thread X. (And in fact this read-order
being the reverse of write order is a common technique for 
reducing the number of possibilities if you don't wish to 
turn both the block read and the block writes into atomic 
transactions.)

Phil
-- 
> I'd argue that there is much evidence for the existence of a God.
Pics or it didn't happen.
-- Tom (/. uid 822)

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Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Myth__Buster <raghavanil4m@gmail.com> - 2012-07-05 10:44 -0700
  Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a  struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile  and non-volatile individually pete <pfiland@mindspring.com> - 2012-07-05 14:59 -0400
    Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Myth__Buster <raghavanil4m@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 12:53 -0700
  Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-07-05 23:22 +0100
    Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 13:08 -0400
      Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-07-07 09:20 +1200
        Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 14:01 -0400
          Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-07-06 18:11 -0400
            Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 14:33 -0400
              Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-07-07 11:29 +1200
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 16:27 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-07-07 12:37 +1200
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 17:29 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-07-07 15:50 +1200
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 19:55 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-07 17:04 +0300
              Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-07-07 00:10 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Gareth Owen <gwowen@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 10:00 +0100
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-07-07 10:55 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 15:13 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 04:40 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2012-07-07 17:20 +0300
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-07-07 10:33 -0700
              Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-07-07 08:16 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 05:12 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2012-07-07 09:24 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 06:07 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2012-07-07 13:26 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 16:04 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-07-09 11:14 -0400
          Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 16:58 -0700
            Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 17:20 -0400
              Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 19:39 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 18:54 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 20:12 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 19:25 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 20:33 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimizationo to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-06 19:47 -0400
            Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2012-07-07 15:47 +0200
              Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Uncle Steve <stevet810@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 06:58 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-07-14 21:46 -0700
              Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 16:19 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Jens Gustedt <jens.gustedt@loria.fr> - 2012-07-08 09:40 +0200
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2012-07-08 10:51 -0400
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-07-13 23:25 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-14 14:37 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Joshua Maurice <joshuamaurice@gmail.com> - 2012-07-14 14:46 -0700
                Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Philip Lantz <prl@canterey.us> - 2012-07-14 21:39 -0700
    Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Tim Rentsch <txr@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2012-07-06 17:24 -0700
      Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2012-07-07 02:33 +0100
    Re: Clarification on the applicability of compile-time optimization to a struct variable which encompasses a mixture of fields declared as volatile and non-volatile individually Myth__Buster <raghavanil4m@gmail.com> - 2012-07-07 12:53 -0700

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