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1=head1 NAME 1=head1 NAME
2 2
3Coro - coroutine process abstraction 3Coro - the only real threads in perl
4 4
5=head1 SYNOPSIS 5=head1 SYNOPSIS
6 6
7 use Coro; 7 use Coro;
8 8
9 async { 9 async {
10 # some asynchronous thread of execution 10 # some asynchronous thread of execution
11 print "2\n";
12 cede; # yield back to main
13 print "4\n";
11 }; 14 };
12 15 print "1\n";
13 # alternatively create an async process like this: 16 cede; # yield to coro
14 17 print "3\n";
15 sub some_func : Coro { 18 cede; # and again
16 # some more async code 19
17 } 20 # use locking
18 21 use Coro::Semaphore;
19 cede; 22 my $lock = new Coro::Semaphore;
23 my $locked;
24
25 $lock->down;
26 $locked = 1;
27 $lock->up;
20 28
21=head1 DESCRIPTION 29=head1 DESCRIPTION
22 30
23This module collection manages coroutines. Coroutines are similar to 31For a tutorial-style introduction, please read the L<Coro::Intro>
24threads but don't run in parallel. 32manpage. This manpage mainly contains reference information.
25 33
34This module collection manages continuations in general, most often in
35the form of cooperative threads (also called coros, or simply "coro"
36in the documentation). They are similar to kernel threads but don't (in
37general) run in parallel at the same time even on SMP machines. The
38specific flavor of thread offered by this module also guarantees you that
39it will not switch between threads unless necessary, at easily-identified
40points in your program, so locking and parallel access are rarely an
41issue, making thread programming much safer and easier than using other
42thread models.
43
44Unlike the so-called "Perl threads" (which are not actually real threads
45but only the windows process emulation (see section of same name for
46more details) ported to UNIX, and as such act as processes), Coro
47provides a full shared address space, which makes communication between
48threads very easy. And coro threads are fast, too: disabling the Windows
49process emulation code in your perl and using Coro can easily result in
50a two to four times speed increase for your programs. A parallel matrix
51multiplication benchmark (very communication-intensive) runs over 300
52times faster on a single core than perls pseudo-threads on a quad core
53using all four cores.
54
55Coro achieves that by supporting multiple running interpreters that share
56data, which is especially useful to code pseudo-parallel processes and
57for event-based programming, such as multiple HTTP-GET requests running
58concurrently. See L<Coro::AnyEvent> to learn more on how to integrate Coro
59into an event-based environment.
60
26In this module, coroutines are defined as "callchain + lexical variables 61In this module, a thread is defined as "callchain + lexical variables +
27+ @_ + $_ + $@ + $^W + C stack), that is, a coroutine has it's own 62some package variables + C stack), that is, a thread has its own callchain,
28callchain, it's own set of lexicals and it's own set of perl's most 63its own set of lexicals and its own set of perls most important global
29important global variables. 64variables (see L<Coro::State> for more configuration and background info).
65
66See also the C<SEE ALSO> section at the end of this document - the Coro
67module family is quite large.
68
69=head1 CORO THREAD LIFE CYCLE
70
71During the long and exciting (or not) life of a coro thread, it goes
72through a number of states:
73
74=over 4
75
76=item 1. Creation
77
78The first thing in the life of a coro thread is it's creation -
79obviously. The typical way to create a thread is to call the C<async
80BLOCK> function:
81
82 async {
83 # thread code goes here
84 };
85
86You can also pass arguments, which are put in C<@_>:
87
88 async {
89 print $_[1]; # prints 2
90 } 1, 2, 3;
91
92This creates a new coro thread and puts it into the ready queue, meaning
93it will run as soon as the CPU is free for it.
94
95C<async> will return a coro object - you can store this for future
96reference or ignore it, the thread itself will keep a reference to it's
97thread object - threads are alive on their own.
98
99Another way to create a thread is to call the C<new> constructor with a
100code-reference:
101
102 new Coro sub {
103 # thread code goes here
104 }, @optional_arguments;
105
106This is quite similar to calling C<async>, but the important difference is
107that the new thread is not put into the ready queue, so the thread will
108not run until somebody puts it there. C<async> is, therefore, identical to
109this sequence:
110
111 my $coro = new Coro sub {
112 # thread code goes here
113 };
114 $coro->ready;
115 return $coro;
116
117=item 2. Startup
118
119When a new coro thread is created, only a copy of the code reference
120and the arguments are stored, no extra memory for stacks and so on is
121allocated, keeping the coro thread in a low-memory state.
122
123Only when it actually starts executing will all the resources be finally
124allocated.
125
126The optional arguments specified at coro creation are available in C<@_>,
127similar to function calls.
128
129=item 3. Running / Blocking
130
131A lot can happen after the coro thread has started running. Quite usually,
132it will not run to the end in one go (because you could use a function
133instead), but it will give up the CPU regularly because it waits for
134external events.
135
136As long as a coro thread runs, it's coro object is available in the global
137variable C<$Coro::current>.
138
139The low-level way to give up the CPU is to call the scheduler, which
140selects a new coro thread to run:
141
142 Coro::schedule;
143
144Since running threads are not in the ready queue, calling the scheduler
145without doing anything else will block the coro thread forever - you need
146to arrange either for the coro to put woken up (readied) by some other
147event or some other thread, or you can put it into the ready queue before
148scheduling:
149
150 # this is exactly what Coro::cede does
151 $Coro::current->ready;
152 Coro::schedule;
153
154All the higher-level synchronisation methods (Coro::Semaphore,
155Coro::rouse_*...) are actually implemented via C<< ->ready >> and C<<
156Coro::schedule >>.
157
158While the coro thread is running it also might get assigned a C-level
159thread, or the C-level thread might be unassigned from it, as the Coro
160runtime wishes. A C-level thread needs to be assigned when your perl
161thread calls into some C-level function and that function in turn calls
162perl and perl then wants to switch coroutines. This happens most often
163when you run an event loop and block in the callback, or when perl
164itself calls some function such as C<AUTOLOAD> or methods via the C<tie>
165mechanism.
166
167=item 4. Termination
168
169Many threads actually terminate after some time. There are a number of
170ways to terminate a coro thread, the simplest is returning from the
171top-level code reference:
172
173 async {
174 # after returning from here, the coro thread is terminated
175 };
176
177 async {
178 return if 0.5 < rand; # terminate a little earlier, maybe
179 print "got a chance to print this\n";
180 # or here
181 };
182
183Any values returned from the coroutine can be recovered using C<< ->join
184>>:
185
186 my $coro = async {
187 "hello, world\n" # return a string
188 };
189
190 my $hello_world = $coro->join;
191
192 print $hello_world;
193
194Another way to terminate is to call C<< Coro::terminate >>, which at any
195subroutine call nesting level:
196
197 async {
198 Coro::terminate "return value 1", "return value 2";
199 };
200
201And yet another way is to C<< ->cancel >> the coro thread from another
202thread:
203
204 my $coro = async {
205 exit 1;
206 };
207
208 $coro->cancel; # an also accept values for ->join to retrieve
209
210Cancellation I<can> be dangerous - it's a bit like calling C<exit> without
211actually exiting, and might leave C libraries and XS modules in a weird
212state. Unlike other thread implementations, however, Coro is exceptionally
213safe with regards to cancellation, as perl will always be in a consistent
214state.
215
216So, cancelling a thread that runs in an XS event loop might not be the
217best idea, but any other combination that deals with perl only (cancelling
218when a thread is in a C<tie> method or an C<AUTOLOAD> for example) is
219safe.
220
221=item 5. Cleanup
222
223Threads will allocate various resources. Most but not all will be returned
224when a thread terminates, during clean-up.
225
226Cleanup is quite similar to throwing an uncaught exception: perl will
227work it's way up through all subroutine calls and blocks. On it's way, it
228will release all C<my> variables, undo all C<local>'s and free any other
229resources truly local to the thread.
230
231So, a common way to free resources is to keep them referenced only by my
232variables:
233
234 async {
235 my $big_cache = new Cache ...;
236 };
237
238If there are no other references, then the C<$big_cache> object will be
239freed when the thread terminates, regardless of how it does so.
240
241What it does C<NOT> do is unlock any Coro::Semaphores or similar
242resources, but that's where the C<guard> methods come in handy:
243
244 my $sem = new Coro::Semaphore;
245
246 async {
247 my $lock_guard = $sem->guard;
248 # if we reutrn, or die or get cancelled, here,
249 # then the semaphore will be "up"ed.
250 };
251
252The C<Guard::guard> function comes in handy for any custom cleanup you
253might want to do:
254
255 async {
256 my $window = new Gtk2::Window "toplevel";
257 # The window will not be cleaned up automatically, even when $window
258 # gets freed, so use a guard to ensure it's destruction
259 # in case of an error:
260 my $window_guard = Guard::guard { $window->destroy };
261
262 # we are safe here
263 };
264
265Last not least, C<local> can often be handy, too, e.g. when temporarily
266replacing the coro thread description:
267
268 sub myfunction {
269 local $Coro::current->{desc} = "inside myfunction(@_)";
270
271 # if we return or die here, the description will be restored
272 }
273
274=item 6. Viva La Zombie Muerte
275
276Even after a thread has terminated and cleaned up it's resources, the coro
277object still is there and stores the return values of the thread. Only in
278this state will the coro object be "reference counted" in the normal perl
279sense: the thread code keeps a reference to it when it is active, but not
280after it has terminated.
281
282The means the coro object gets freed automatically when the thread has
283terminated and cleaned up and there arenot other references.
284
285If there are, the coro object will stay around, and you can call C<<
286->join >> as many times as you wish to retrieve the result values:
287
288 async {
289 print "hi\n";
290 1
291 };
292
293 # run the async above, and free everything before returning
294 # from Coro::cede:
295 Coro::cede;
296
297 {
298 my $coro = async {
299 print "hi\n";
300 1
301 };
302
303 # run the async above, and clean up, but do not free the coro
304 # object:
305 Coro::cede;
306
307 # optionally retrieve the result values
308 my @results = $coro->join;
309
310 # now $coro goes out of scope, and presumably gets freed
311 };
312
313=back
30 314
31=cut 315=cut
32 316
33package Coro; 317package Coro;
34 318
35BEGIN { eval { require warnings } && warnings->unimport ("uninitialized") } 319use common::sense;
320
321use Carp ();
322
323use Guard ();
36 324
37use Coro::State; 325use Coro::State;
38 326
39use vars qw($idle $main $current); 327use base qw(Coro::State Exporter);
40 328
41use base Exporter; 329our $idle; # idle handler
330our $main; # main coro
331our $current; # current coro
42 332
43$VERSION = 0.95; 333our $VERSION = 5.26;
44 334
45@EXPORT = qw(async cede schedule terminate current); 335our @EXPORT = qw(async async_pool cede schedule terminate current unblock_sub rouse_cb rouse_wait);
46%EXPORT_TAGS = ( 336our %EXPORT_TAGS = (
47 prio => [qw(PRIO_MAX PRIO_HIGH PRIO_NORMAL PRIO_LOW PRIO_IDLE PRIO_MIN)], 337 prio => [qw(PRIO_MAX PRIO_HIGH PRIO_NORMAL PRIO_LOW PRIO_IDLE PRIO_MIN)],
48); 338);
49@EXPORT_OK = @{$EXPORT_TAGS{prio}}; 339our @EXPORT_OK = (@{$EXPORT_TAGS{prio}}, qw(nready));
50 340
51{ 341=head1 GLOBAL VARIABLES
52 my @async;
53 my $init;
54
55 # this way of handling attributes simply is NOT scalable ;()
56 sub import {
57 Coro->export_to_level(1, @_);
58 my $old = *{(caller)[0]."::MODIFY_CODE_ATTRIBUTES"}{CODE};
59 *{(caller)[0]."::MODIFY_CODE_ATTRIBUTES"} = sub {
60 my ($package, $ref) = (shift, shift);
61 my @attrs;
62 for (@_) {
63 if ($_ eq "Coro") {
64 push @async, $ref;
65 unless ($init++) {
66 eval q{
67 sub INIT {
68 &async(pop @async) while @async;
69 }
70 };
71 }
72 } else {
73 push @attrs, $_;
74 }
75 }
76 return $old ? $old->($package, $ref, @attrs) : @attrs;
77 };
78 }
79
80}
81 342
82=over 4 343=over 4
83 344
84=item $main 345=item $Coro::main
85 346
86This coroutine represents the main program. 347This variable stores the Coro object that represents the main
348program. While you cna C<ready> it and do most other things you can do to
349coro, it is mainly useful to compare again C<$Coro::current>, to see
350whether you are running in the main program or not.
87 351
88=cut 352=cut
89 353
90$main = new Coro; 354# $main is now being initialised by Coro::State
91 355
92=item $current (or as function: current) 356=item $Coro::current
93 357
94The current coroutine (the last coroutine switched to). The initial value is C<$main> (of course). 358The Coro object representing the current coro (the last
359coro that the Coro scheduler switched to). The initial value is
360C<$Coro::main> (of course).
95 361
96=cut 362This variable is B<strictly> I<read-only>. You can take copies of the
363value stored in it and use it as any other Coro object, but you must
364not otherwise modify the variable itself.
97 365
98# maybe some other module used Coro::Specific before... 366=cut
99if ($current) {
100 $main->{specific} = $current->{specific};
101}
102 367
103$current = $main;
104
105sub current() { $current } 368sub current() { $current } # [DEPRECATED]
106 369
107=item $idle 370=item $Coro::idle
108 371
109The coroutine to switch to when no other coroutine is running. The default 372This variable is mainly useful to integrate Coro into event loops. It is
110implementation prints "FATAL: deadlock detected" and exits. 373usually better to rely on L<Coro::AnyEvent> or L<Coro::EV>, as this is
374pretty low-level functionality.
111 375
112=cut 376This variable stores a Coro object that is put into the ready queue when
377there are no other ready threads (without invoking any ready hooks).
113 378
114# should be done using priorities :( 379The default implementation dies with "FATAL: deadlock detected.", followed
380by a thread listing, because the program has no other way to continue.
381
382This hook is overwritten by modules such as C<Coro::EV> and
383C<Coro::AnyEvent> to wait on an external event that hopefully wakes up a
384coro so the scheduler can run it.
385
386See L<Coro::EV> or L<Coro::AnyEvent> for examples of using this technique.
387
388=cut
389
390# ||= because other modules could have provided their own by now
115$idle = new Coro sub { 391$idle ||= new Coro sub {
392 require Coro::Debug;
116 print STDERR "FATAL: deadlock detected\n"; 393 die "FATAL: deadlock detected.\n"
117 exit(51); 394 . Coro::Debug::ps_listing ();
118}; 395};
119 396
120# this coroutine is necessary because a coroutine 397# this coro is necessary because a coro
121# cannot destroy itself. 398# cannot destroy itself.
122my @destroy; 399our @destroy;
123my $manager; 400our $manager;
401
124$manager = new Coro sub { 402$manager = new Coro sub {
125 while () { 403 while () {
126 # by overwriting the state object with the manager we destroy it 404 Coro::State::cancel shift @destroy
127 # while still being able to schedule this coroutine (in case it has
128 # been readied multiple times. this is harmless since the manager
129 # can be called as many times as neccessary and will always
130 # remove itself from the runqueue
131 while (@destroy) { 405 while @destroy;
132 my $coro = pop @destroy; 406
133 $coro->{status} ||= [];
134 $_->ready for @{delete $coro->{join} || []};
135 $coro->{_coro_state} = $manager->{_coro_state};
136 }
137 &schedule; 407 &schedule;
138 } 408 }
139}; 409};
140 410$manager->{desc} = "[coro manager]";
141# static methods. not really. 411$manager->prio (PRIO_MAX);
142 412
143=back 413=back
144 414
145=head2 STATIC METHODS 415=head1 SIMPLE CORO CREATION
146
147Static methods are actually functions that operate on the current process only.
148 416
149=over 4 417=over 4
150 418
151=item async { ... } [@args...] 419=item async { ... } [@args...]
152 420
153Create a new asynchronous process and return it's process object 421Create a new coro and return its Coro object (usually
154(usually unused). When the sub returns the new process is automatically 422unused). The coro will be put into the ready queue, so
423it will start running automatically on the next scheduler run.
424
425The first argument is a codeblock/closure that should be executed in the
426coro. When it returns argument returns the coro is automatically
155terminated. 427terminated.
156 428
429The remaining arguments are passed as arguments to the closure.
430
431See the C<Coro::State::new> constructor for info about the coro
432environment in which coro are executed.
433
434Calling C<exit> in a coro will do the same as calling exit outside
435the coro. Likewise, when the coro dies, the program will exit,
436just as it would in the main program.
437
438If you do not want that, you can provide a default C<die> handler, or
439simply avoid dieing (by use of C<eval>).
440
157 # create a new coroutine that just prints its arguments 441Example: Create a new coro that just prints its arguments.
442
158 async { 443 async {
159 print "@_\n"; 444 print "@_\n";
160 } 1,2,3,4; 445 } 1,2,3,4;
161 446
162=cut 447=item async_pool { ... } [@args...]
163 448
164sub async(&@) { 449Similar to C<async>, but uses a coro pool, so you should not call
165 my $pid = new Coro @_; 450terminate or join on it (although you are allowed to), and you get a
166 $manager->ready; # this ensures that the stack is cloned from the manager 451coro that might have executed other code already (which can be good
167 $pid->ready; 452or bad :).
168 $pid; 453
454On the plus side, this function is about twice as fast as creating (and
455destroying) a completely new coro, so if you need a lot of generic
456coros in quick successsion, use C<async_pool>, not C<async>.
457
458The code block is executed in an C<eval> context and a warning will be
459issued in case of an exception instead of terminating the program, as
460C<async> does. As the coro is being reused, stuff like C<on_destroy>
461will not work in the expected way, unless you call terminate or cancel,
462which somehow defeats the purpose of pooling (but is fine in the
463exceptional case).
464
465The priority will be reset to C<0> after each run, tracing will be
466disabled, the description will be reset and the default output filehandle
467gets restored, so you can change all these. Otherwise the coro will
468be re-used "as-is": most notably if you change other per-coro global
469stuff such as C<$/> you I<must needs> revert that change, which is most
470simply done by using local as in: C<< local $/ >>.
471
472The idle pool size is limited to C<8> idle coros (this can be
473adjusted by changing $Coro::POOL_SIZE), but there can be as many non-idle
474coros as required.
475
476If you are concerned about pooled coros growing a lot because a
477single C<async_pool> used a lot of stackspace you can e.g. C<async_pool
478{ terminate }> once per second or so to slowly replenish the pool. In
479addition to that, when the stacks used by a handler grows larger than 32kb
480(adjustable via $Coro::POOL_RSS) it will also be destroyed.
481
482=cut
483
484our $POOL_SIZE = 8;
485our $POOL_RSS = 32 * 1024;
486our @async_pool;
487
488sub pool_handler {
489 while () {
490 eval {
491 &{&_pool_handler} while 1;
492 };
493
494 warn $@ if $@;
495 }
169} 496}
170 497
498=back
499
500=head1 STATIC METHODS
501
502Static methods are actually functions that implicitly operate on the
503current coro.
504
505=over 4
506
171=item schedule 507=item schedule
172 508
173Calls the scheduler. Please note that the current process will not be put 509Calls the scheduler. The scheduler will find the next coro that is
510to be run from the ready queue and switches to it. The next coro
511to be run is simply the one with the highest priority that is longest
512in its ready queue. If there is no coro ready, it will call the
513C<$Coro::idle> hook.
514
515Please note that the current coro will I<not> be put into the ready
174into the ready queue, so calling this function usually means you will 516queue, so calling this function usually means you will never be called
175never be called again. 517again unless something else (e.g. an event handler) calls C<< ->ready >>,
518thus waking you up.
176 519
177=cut 520This makes C<schedule> I<the> generic method to use to block the current
521coro and wait for events: first you remember the current coro in
522a variable, then arrange for some callback of yours to call C<< ->ready
523>> on that once some event happens, and last you call C<schedule> to put
524yourself to sleep. Note that a lot of things can wake your coro up,
525so you need to check whether the event indeed happened, e.g. by storing the
526status in a variable.
527
528See B<HOW TO WAIT FOR A CALLBACK>, below, for some ways to wait for callbacks.
178 529
179=item cede 530=item cede
180 531
181"Cede" to other processes. This function puts the current process into the 532"Cede" to other coros. This function puts the current coro into
182ready queue and calls C<schedule>, which has the effect of giving up the 533the ready queue and calls C<schedule>, which has the effect of giving
183current "timeslice" to other coroutines of the same or higher priority. 534up the current "timeslice" to other coros of the same or higher
535priority. Once your coro gets its turn again it will automatically be
536resumed.
184 537
185=cut 538This function is often called C<yield> in other languages.
539
540=item Coro::cede_notself
541
542Works like cede, but is not exported by default and will cede to I<any>
543coro, regardless of priority. This is useful sometimes to ensure
544progress is made.
186 545
187=item terminate [arg...] 546=item terminate [arg...]
188 547
189Terminates the current process. 548Terminates the current coro with the given status values (see L<cancel>).
190 549
191Future versions of this function will allow result arguments. 550=item Coro::on_enter BLOCK, Coro::on_leave BLOCK
192 551
193=cut 552These function install enter and leave winders in the current scope. The
553enter block will be executed when on_enter is called and whenever the
554current coro is re-entered by the scheduler, while the leave block is
555executed whenever the current coro is blocked by the scheduler, and
556also when the containing scope is exited (by whatever means, be it exit,
557die, last etc.).
194 558
195sub terminate { 559I<Neither invoking the scheduler, nor exceptions, are allowed within those
196 $current->{status} = [@_]; 560BLOCKs>. That means: do not even think about calling C<die> without an
197 $current->cancel; 561eval, and do not even think of entering the scheduler in any way.
198 &schedule; 562
199 die; # NORETURN 563Since both BLOCKs are tied to the current scope, they will automatically
564be removed when the current scope exits.
565
566These functions implement the same concept as C<dynamic-wind> in scheme
567does, and are useful when you want to localise some resource to a specific
568coro.
569
570They slow down thread switching considerably for coros that use them
571(about 40% for a BLOCK with a single assignment, so thread switching is
572still reasonably fast if the handlers are fast).
573
574These functions are best understood by an example: The following function
575will change the current timezone to "Antarctica/South_Pole", which
576requires a call to C<tzset>, but by using C<on_enter> and C<on_leave>,
577which remember/change the current timezone and restore the previous
578value, respectively, the timezone is only changed for the coro that
579installed those handlers.
580
581 use POSIX qw(tzset);
582
583 async {
584 my $old_tz; # store outside TZ value here
585
586 Coro::on_enter {
587 $old_tz = $ENV{TZ}; # remember the old value
588
589 $ENV{TZ} = "Antarctica/South_Pole";
590 tzset; # enable new value
591 };
592
593 Coro::on_leave {
594 $ENV{TZ} = $old_tz;
595 tzset; # restore old value
596 };
597
598 # at this place, the timezone is Antarctica/South_Pole,
599 # without disturbing the TZ of any other coro.
600 };
601
602This can be used to localise about any resource (locale, uid, current
603working directory etc.) to a block, despite the existance of other
604coros.
605
606Another interesting example implements time-sliced multitasking using
607interval timers (this could obviously be optimised, but does the job):
608
609 # "timeslice" the given block
610 sub timeslice(&) {
611 use Time::HiRes ();
612
613 Coro::on_enter {
614 # on entering the thread, we set an VTALRM handler to cede
615 $SIG{VTALRM} = sub { cede };
616 # and then start the interval timer
617 Time::HiRes::setitimer &Time::HiRes::ITIMER_VIRTUAL, 0.01, 0.01;
618 };
619 Coro::on_leave {
620 # on leaving the thread, we stop the interval timer again
621 Time::HiRes::setitimer &Time::HiRes::ITIMER_VIRTUAL, 0, 0;
622 };
623
624 &{+shift};
625 }
626
627 # use like this:
628 timeslice {
629 # The following is an endless loop that would normally
630 # monopolise the process. Since it runs in a timesliced
631 # environment, it will regularly cede to other threads.
632 while () { }
633 };
634
635
636=item killall
637
638Kills/terminates/cancels all coros except the currently running one.
639
640Note that while this will try to free some of the main interpreter
641resources if the calling coro isn't the main coro, but one
642cannot free all of them, so if a coro that is not the main coro
643calls this function, there will be some one-time resource leak.
644
645=cut
646
647sub killall {
648 for (Coro::State::list) {
649 $_->cancel
650 if $_ != $current && UNIVERSAL::isa $_, "Coro";
651 }
200} 652}
201 653
202=back 654=back
203 655
204# dynamic methods 656=head1 CORO OBJECT METHODS
205 657
206=head2 PROCESS METHODS
207
208These are the methods you can call on process objects. 658These are the methods you can call on coro objects (or to create
659them).
209 660
210=over 4 661=over 4
211 662
212=item new Coro \&sub [, @args...] 663=item new Coro \&sub [, @args...]
213 664
214Create a new process and return it. When the sub returns the process 665Create a new coro and return it. When the sub returns, the coro
215automatically terminates as if C<terminate> with the returned values were 666automatically terminates as if C<terminate> with the returned values were
216called. To make the process run you must first put it into the ready queue 667called. To make the coro run you must first put it into the ready
217by calling the ready method. 668queue by calling the ready method.
218 669
219=cut 670See C<async> and C<Coro::State::new> for additional info about the
671coro environment.
220 672
673=cut
674
221sub _newcoro { 675sub _coro_run {
222 terminate &{+shift}; 676 terminate &{+shift};
223} 677}
224 678
679=item $success = $coro->ready
680
681Put the given coro into the end of its ready queue (there is one
682queue for each priority) and return true. If the coro is already in
683the ready queue, do nothing and return false.
684
685This ensures that the scheduler will resume this coro automatically
686once all the coro of higher priority and all coro of the same
687priority that were put into the ready queue earlier have been resumed.
688
689=item $coro->suspend
690
691Suspends the specified coro. A suspended coro works just like any other
692coro, except that the scheduler will not select a suspended coro for
693execution.
694
695Suspending a coro can be useful when you want to keep the coro from
696running, but you don't want to destroy it, or when you want to temporarily
697freeze a coro (e.g. for debugging) to resume it later.
698
699A scenario for the former would be to suspend all (other) coros after a
700fork and keep them alive, so their destructors aren't called, but new
701coros can be created.
702
703=item $coro->resume
704
705If the specified coro was suspended, it will be resumed. Note that when
706the coro was in the ready queue when it was suspended, it might have been
707unreadied by the scheduler, so an activation might have been lost.
708
709To avoid this, it is best to put a suspended coro into the ready queue
710unconditionally, as every synchronisation mechanism must protect itself
711against spurious wakeups, and the one in the Coro family certainly do
712that.
713
714=item $is_ready = $coro->is_ready
715
716Returns true iff the Coro object is in the ready queue. Unless the Coro
717object gets destroyed, it will eventually be scheduled by the scheduler.
718
719=item $is_running = $coro->is_running
720
721Returns true iff the Coro object is currently running. Only one Coro object
722can ever be in the running state (but it currently is possible to have
723multiple running Coro::States).
724
725=item $is_suspended = $coro->is_suspended
726
727Returns true iff this Coro object has been suspended. Suspended Coros will
728not ever be scheduled.
729
730=item $coro->cancel (arg...)
731
732Terminates the given Coro and makes it return the given arguments as
733status (default: the empty list). Never returns if the Coro is the
734current Coro.
735
736=cut
737
225sub new { 738sub cancel {
226 my $class = shift; 739 my $self = shift;
227 bless { 740
228 _coro_state => (new Coro::State $_[0] && \&_newcoro, @_), 741 if ($current == $self) {
229 }, $class; 742 terminate @_;
743 } else {
744 $self->{_status} = [@_];
745 Coro::State::cancel $self;
746 }
230} 747}
231 748
232=item $process->ready 749=item $coro->schedule_to
233 750
234Put the given process into the ready queue. 751Puts the current coro to sleep (like C<Coro::schedule>), but instead
752of continuing with the next coro from the ready queue, always switch to
753the given coro object (regardless of priority etc.). The readyness
754state of that coro isn't changed.
235 755
236=cut 756This is an advanced method for special cases - I'd love to hear about any
757uses for this one.
237 758
238=item $process->cancel 759=item $coro->cede_to
239 760
240Like C<terminate>, but terminates the specified process instead. 761Like C<schedule_to>, but puts the current coro into the ready
762queue. This has the effect of temporarily switching to the given
763coro, and continuing some time later.
241 764
242=cut 765This is an advanced method for special cases - I'd love to hear about any
766uses for this one.
243 767
244sub cancel { 768=item $coro->throw ([$scalar])
245 push @destroy, $_[0];
246 $manager->ready;
247 &schedule if $current == $_[0];
248}
249 769
770If C<$throw> is specified and defined, it will be thrown as an exception
771inside the coro at the next convenient point in time. Otherwise
772clears the exception object.
773
774Coro will check for the exception each time a schedule-like-function
775returns, i.e. after each C<schedule>, C<cede>, C<< Coro::Semaphore->down
776>>, C<< Coro::Handle->readable >> and so on. Most of these functions
777detect this case and return early in case an exception is pending.
778
779The exception object will be thrown "as is" with the specified scalar in
780C<$@>, i.e. if it is a string, no line number or newline will be appended
781(unlike with C<die>).
782
783This can be used as a softer means than C<cancel> to ask a coro to
784end itself, although there is no guarantee that the exception will lead to
785termination, and if the exception isn't caught it might well end the whole
786program.
787
788You might also think of C<throw> as being the moral equivalent of
789C<kill>ing a coro with a signal (in this case, a scalar).
790
250=item $process->join 791=item $coro->join
251 792
252Wait until the coroutine terminates and return any values given to the 793Wait until the coro terminates and return any values given to the
253C<terminate> function. C<join> can be called multiple times from multiple 794C<terminate> or C<cancel> functions. C<join> can be called concurrently
254processes. 795from multiple coro, and all will be resumed and given the status
796return once the C<$coro> terminates.
255 797
256=cut 798=cut
257 799
258sub join { 800sub join {
259 my $self = shift; 801 my $self = shift;
802
260 unless ($self->{status}) { 803 unless ($self->{_status}) {
261 push @{$self->{join}}, $current; 804 my $current = $current;
262 &schedule; 805
806 push @{$self->{_on_destroy}}, sub {
807 $current->ready;
808 undef $current;
809 };
810
811 &schedule while $current;
263 } 812 }
813
264 wantarray ? @{$self->{status}} : $self->{status}[0]; 814 wantarray ? @{$self->{_status}} : $self->{_status}[0];
265} 815}
266 816
817=item $coro->on_destroy (\&cb)
818
819Registers a callback that is called when this coro thread gets destroyed,
820but before it is joined. The callback gets passed the terminate arguments,
821if any, and I<must not> die, under any circumstances.
822
823There can be any number of C<on_destroy> callbacks per coro.
824
825=cut
826
827sub on_destroy {
828 my ($self, $cb) = @_;
829
830 push @{ $self->{_on_destroy} }, $cb;
831}
832
267=item $oldprio = $process->prio($newprio) 833=item $oldprio = $coro->prio ($newprio)
268 834
269Sets (or gets, if the argument is missing) the priority of the 835Sets (or gets, if the argument is missing) the priority of the
270process. Higher priority processes get run before lower priority 836coro thread. Higher priority coro get run before lower priority
271processes. Priorities are small signed integers (currently -4 .. +3), 837coros. Priorities are small signed integers (currently -4 .. +3),
272that you can refer to using PRIO_xxx constants (use the import tag :prio 838that you can refer to using PRIO_xxx constants (use the import tag :prio
273to get then): 839to get then):
274 840
275 PRIO_MAX > PRIO_HIGH > PRIO_NORMAL > PRIO_LOW > PRIO_IDLE > PRIO_MIN 841 PRIO_MAX > PRIO_HIGH > PRIO_NORMAL > PRIO_LOW > PRIO_IDLE > PRIO_MIN
276 3 > 1 > 0 > -1 > -3 > -4 842 3 > 1 > 0 > -1 > -3 > -4
277 843
278 # set priority to HIGH 844 # set priority to HIGH
279 current->prio(PRIO_HIGH); 845 current->prio (PRIO_HIGH);
280 846
281The idle coroutine ($Coro::idle) always has a lower priority than any 847The idle coro thread ($Coro::idle) always has a lower priority than any
282existing coroutine. 848existing coro.
283 849
284Changing the priority of the current process will take effect immediately, 850Changing the priority of the current coro will take effect immediately,
285but changing the priority of processes in the ready queue (but not 851but changing the priority of a coro in the ready queue (but not running)
286running) will only take effect after the next schedule (of that 852will only take effect after the next schedule (of that coro). This is a
287process). This is a bug that will be fixed in some future version. 853bug that will be fixed in some future version.
288 854
289=cut
290
291sub prio {
292 my $old = $_[0]{prio};
293 $_[0]{prio} = $_[1] if @_ > 1;
294 $old;
295}
296
297=item $newprio = $process->nice($change) 855=item $newprio = $coro->nice ($change)
298 856
299Similar to C<prio>, but subtract the given value from the priority (i.e. 857Similar to C<prio>, but subtract the given value from the priority (i.e.
300higher values mean lower priority, just as in unix). 858higher values mean lower priority, just as in UNIX's nice command).
301 859
302=cut
303
304sub nice {
305 $_[0]{prio} -= $_[1];
306}
307
308=item $olddesc = $process->desc($newdesc) 860=item $olddesc = $coro->desc ($newdesc)
309 861
310Sets (or gets in case the argument is missing) the description for this 862Sets (or gets in case the argument is missing) the description for this
311process. This is just a free-form string you can associate with a process. 863coro thread. This is just a free-form string you can associate with a
864coro.
865
866This method simply sets the C<< $coro->{desc} >> member to the given
867string. You can modify this member directly if you wish, and in fact, this
868is often preferred to indicate major processing states that cna then be
869seen for example in a L<Coro::Debug> session:
870
871 sub my_long_function {
872 local $Coro::current->{desc} = "now in my_long_function";
873 ...
874 $Coro::current->{desc} = "my_long_function: phase 1";
875 ...
876 $Coro::current->{desc} = "my_long_function: phase 2";
877 ...
878 }
312 879
313=cut 880=cut
314 881
315sub desc { 882sub desc {
316 my $old = $_[0]{desc}; 883 my $old = $_[0]{desc};
317 $_[0]{desc} = $_[1] if @_ > 1; 884 $_[0]{desc} = $_[1] if @_ > 1;
318 $old; 885 $old;
319} 886}
320 887
888sub transfer {
889 require Carp;
890 Carp::croak ("You must not call ->transfer on Coro objects. Use Coro::State objects or the ->schedule_to method. Caught");
891}
892
321=back 893=back
322 894
895=head1 GLOBAL FUNCTIONS
896
897=over 4
898
899=item Coro::nready
900
901Returns the number of coro that are currently in the ready state,
902i.e. that can be switched to by calling C<schedule> directory or
903indirectly. The value C<0> means that the only runnable coro is the
904currently running one, so C<cede> would have no effect, and C<schedule>
905would cause a deadlock unless there is an idle handler that wakes up some
906coro.
907
908=item my $guard = Coro::guard { ... }
909
910This function still exists, but is deprecated. Please use the
911C<Guard::guard> function instead.
912
323=cut 913=cut
914
915BEGIN { *guard = \&Guard::guard }
916
917=item unblock_sub { ... }
918
919This utility function takes a BLOCK or code reference and "unblocks" it,
920returning a new coderef. Unblocking means that calling the new coderef
921will return immediately without blocking, returning nothing, while the
922original code ref will be called (with parameters) from within another
923coro.
924
925The reason this function exists is that many event libraries (such as
926the venerable L<Event|Event> module) are not thread-safe (a weaker form
927of reentrancy). This means you must not block within event callbacks,
928otherwise you might suffer from crashes or worse. The only event library
929currently known that is safe to use without C<unblock_sub> is L<EV> (but
930you might still run into deadlocks if all event loops are blocked).
931
932Coro will try to catch you when you block in the event loop
933("FATAL:$Coro::IDLE blocked itself"), but this is just best effort and
934only works when you do not run your own event loop.
935
936This function allows your callbacks to block by executing them in another
937coro where it is safe to block. One example where blocking is handy
938is when you use the L<Coro::AIO|Coro::AIO> functions to save results to
939disk, for example.
940
941In short: simply use C<unblock_sub { ... }> instead of C<sub { ... }> when
942creating event callbacks that want to block.
943
944If your handler does not plan to block (e.g. simply sends a message to
945another coro, or puts some other coro into the ready queue), there is
946no reason to use C<unblock_sub>.
947
948Note that you also need to use C<unblock_sub> for any other callbacks that
949are indirectly executed by any C-based event loop. For example, when you
950use a module that uses L<AnyEvent> (and you use L<Coro::AnyEvent>) and it
951provides callbacks that are the result of some event callback, then you
952must not block either, or use C<unblock_sub>.
953
954=cut
955
956our @unblock_queue;
957
958# we create a special coro because we want to cede,
959# to reduce pressure on the coro pool (because most callbacks
960# return immediately and can be reused) and because we cannot cede
961# inside an event callback.
962our $unblock_scheduler = new Coro sub {
963 while () {
964 while (my $cb = pop @unblock_queue) {
965 &async_pool (@$cb);
966
967 # for short-lived callbacks, this reduces pressure on the coro pool
968 # as the chance is very high that the async_poll coro will be back
969 # in the idle state when cede returns
970 cede;
971 }
972 schedule; # sleep well
973 }
974};
975$unblock_scheduler->{desc} = "[unblock_sub scheduler]";
976
977sub unblock_sub(&) {
978 my $cb = shift;
979
980 sub {
981 unshift @unblock_queue, [$cb, @_];
982 $unblock_scheduler->ready;
983 }
984}
985
986=item $cb = rouse_cb
987
988Create and return a "rouse callback". That's a code reference that,
989when called, will remember a copy of its arguments and notify the owner
990coro of the callback.
991
992See the next function.
993
994=item @args = rouse_wait [$cb]
995
996Wait for the specified rouse callback (or the last one that was created in
997this coro).
998
999As soon as the callback is invoked (or when the callback was invoked
1000before C<rouse_wait>), it will return the arguments originally passed to
1001the rouse callback. In scalar context, that means you get the I<last>
1002argument, just as if C<rouse_wait> had a C<return ($a1, $a2, $a3...)>
1003statement at the end.
1004
1005See the section B<HOW TO WAIT FOR A CALLBACK> for an actual usage example.
1006
1007=back
1008
1009=cut
1010
1011for my $module (qw(Channel RWLock Semaphore SemaphoreSet Signal Specific)) {
1012 my $old = defined &{"Coro::$module\::new"} && \&{"Coro::$module\::new"};
1013
1014 *{"Coro::$module\::new"} = sub {
1015 require "Coro/$module.pm";
1016
1017 # some modules have their new predefined in State.xs, some don't
1018 *{"Coro::$module\::new"} = $old
1019 if $old;
1020
1021 goto &{"Coro::$module\::new"};
1022 };
1023}
324 1024
3251; 10251;
326 1026
1027=head1 HOW TO WAIT FOR A CALLBACK
1028
1029It is very common for a coro to wait for some callback to be
1030called. This occurs naturally when you use coro in an otherwise
1031event-based program, or when you use event-based libraries.
1032
1033These typically register a callback for some event, and call that callback
1034when the event occured. In a coro, however, you typically want to
1035just wait for the event, simplyifying things.
1036
1037For example C<< AnyEvent->child >> registers a callback to be called when
1038a specific child has exited:
1039
1040 my $child_watcher = AnyEvent->child (pid => $pid, cb => sub { ... });
1041
1042But from within a coro, you often just want to write this:
1043
1044 my $status = wait_for_child $pid;
1045
1046Coro offers two functions specifically designed to make this easy,
1047C<Coro::rouse_cb> and C<Coro::rouse_wait>.
1048
1049The first function, C<rouse_cb>, generates and returns a callback that,
1050when invoked, will save its arguments and notify the coro that
1051created the callback.
1052
1053The second function, C<rouse_wait>, waits for the callback to be called
1054(by calling C<schedule> to go to sleep) and returns the arguments
1055originally passed to the callback.
1056
1057Using these functions, it becomes easy to write the C<wait_for_child>
1058function mentioned above:
1059
1060 sub wait_for_child($) {
1061 my ($pid) = @_;
1062
1063 my $watcher = AnyEvent->child (pid => $pid, cb => Coro::rouse_cb);
1064
1065 my ($rpid, $rstatus) = Coro::rouse_wait;
1066 $rstatus
1067 }
1068
1069In the case where C<rouse_cb> and C<rouse_wait> are not flexible enough,
1070you can roll your own, using C<schedule>:
1071
1072 sub wait_for_child($) {
1073 my ($pid) = @_;
1074
1075 # store the current coro in $current,
1076 # and provide result variables for the closure passed to ->child
1077 my $current = $Coro::current;
1078 my ($done, $rstatus);
1079
1080 # pass a closure to ->child
1081 my $watcher = AnyEvent->child (pid => $pid, cb => sub {
1082 $rstatus = $_[1]; # remember rstatus
1083 $done = 1; # mark $rstatus as valud
1084 });
1085
1086 # wait until the closure has been called
1087 schedule while !$done;
1088
1089 $rstatus
1090 }
1091
1092
327=head1 BUGS/LIMITATIONS 1093=head1 BUGS/LIMITATIONS
328 1094
329 - you must make very sure that no coro is still active on global 1095=over 4
330 destruction. very bad things might happen otherwise (usually segfaults).
331 1096
1097=item fork with pthread backend
1098
1099When Coro is compiled using the pthread backend (which isn't recommended
1100but required on many BSDs as their libcs are completely broken), then
1101coro will not survive a fork. There is no known workaround except to
1102fix your libc and use a saner backend.
1103
1104=item perl process emulation ("threads")
1105
332 - this module is not thread-safe. You should only ever use this module 1106This module is not perl-pseudo-thread-safe. You should only ever use this
333 from the same thread (this requirement might be losened in the future 1107module from the first thread (this requirement might be removed in the
334 to allow per-thread schedulers, but Coro::State does not yet allow 1108future to allow per-thread schedulers, but Coro::State does not yet allow
335 this). 1109this). I recommend disabling thread support and using processes, as having
1110the windows process emulation enabled under unix roughly halves perl
1111performance, even when not used.
1112
1113=item coro switching is not signal safe
1114
1115You must not switch to another coro from within a signal handler (only
1116relevant with %SIG - most event libraries provide safe signals), I<unless>
1117you are sure you are not interrupting a Coro function.
1118
1119That means you I<MUST NOT> call any function that might "block" the
1120current coro - C<cede>, C<schedule> C<< Coro::Semaphore->down >> or
1121anything that calls those. Everything else, including calling C<ready>,
1122works.
1123
1124=back
1125
1126
1127=head1 WINDOWS PROCESS EMULATION
1128
1129A great many people seem to be confused about ithreads (for example, Chip
1130Salzenberg called me unintelligent, incapable, stupid and gullible,
1131while in the same mail making rather confused statements about perl
1132ithreads (for example, that memory or files would be shared), showing his
1133lack of understanding of this area - if it is hard to understand for Chip,
1134it is probably not obvious to everybody).
1135
1136What follows is an ultra-condensed version of my talk about threads in
1137scripting languages given on the perl workshop 2009:
1138
1139The so-called "ithreads" were originally implemented for two reasons:
1140first, to (badly) emulate unix processes on native win32 perls, and
1141secondly, to replace the older, real thread model ("5.005-threads").
1142
1143It does that by using threads instead of OS processes. The difference
1144between processes and threads is that threads share memory (and other
1145state, such as files) between threads within a single process, while
1146processes do not share anything (at least not semantically). That
1147means that modifications done by one thread are seen by others, while
1148modifications by one process are not seen by other processes.
1149
1150The "ithreads" work exactly like that: when creating a new ithreads
1151process, all state is copied (memory is copied physically, files and code
1152is copied logically). Afterwards, it isolates all modifications. On UNIX,
1153the same behaviour can be achieved by using operating system processes,
1154except that UNIX typically uses hardware built into the system to do this
1155efficiently, while the windows process emulation emulates this hardware in
1156software (rather efficiently, but of course it is still much slower than
1157dedicated hardware).
1158
1159As mentioned before, loading code, modifying code, modifying data
1160structures and so on is only visible in the ithreads process doing the
1161modification, not in other ithread processes within the same OS process.
1162
1163This is why "ithreads" do not implement threads for perl at all, only
1164processes. What makes it so bad is that on non-windows platforms, you can
1165actually take advantage of custom hardware for this purpose (as evidenced
1166by the forks module, which gives you the (i-) threads API, just much
1167faster).
1168
1169Sharing data is in the i-threads model is done by transfering data
1170structures between threads using copying semantics, which is very slow -
1171shared data simply does not exist. Benchmarks using i-threads which are
1172communication-intensive show extremely bad behaviour with i-threads (in
1173fact, so bad that Coro, which cannot take direct advantage of multiple
1174CPUs, is often orders of magnitude faster because it shares data using
1175real threads, refer to my talk for details).
1176
1177As summary, i-threads *use* threads to implement processes, while
1178the compatible forks module *uses* processes to emulate, uhm,
1179processes. I-threads slow down every perl program when enabled, and
1180outside of windows, serve no (or little) practical purpose, but
1181disadvantages every single-threaded Perl program.
1182
1183This is the reason that I try to avoid the name "ithreads", as it is
1184misleading as it implies that it implements some kind of thread model for
1185perl, and prefer the name "windows process emulation", which describes the
1186actual use and behaviour of it much better.
336 1187
337=head1 SEE ALSO 1188=head1 SEE ALSO
338 1189
339L<Coro::Channel>, L<Coro::Cont>, L<Coro::Specific>, L<Coro::Semaphore>, 1190Event-Loop integration: L<Coro::AnyEvent>, L<Coro::EV>, L<Coro::Event>.
340L<Coro::Signal>, L<Coro::State>, L<Coro::Timer>, L<Coro::Event>, 1191
341L<Coro::L<Coro::RWLock>, Handle>, L<Coro::Socket>. 1192Debugging: L<Coro::Debug>.
1193
1194Support/Utility: L<Coro::Specific>, L<Coro::Util>.
1195
1196Locking and IPC: L<Coro::Signal>, L<Coro::Channel>, L<Coro::Semaphore>,
1197L<Coro::SemaphoreSet>, L<Coro::RWLock>.
1198
1199I/O and Timers: L<Coro::Timer>, L<Coro::Handle>, L<Coro::Socket>, L<Coro::AIO>.
1200
1201Compatibility with other modules: L<Coro::LWP> (but see also L<AnyEvent::HTTP> for
1202a better-working alternative), L<Coro::BDB>, L<Coro::Storable>,
1203L<Coro::Select>.
1204
1205XS API: L<Coro::MakeMaker>.
1206
1207Low level Configuration, Thread Environment, Continuations: L<Coro::State>.
342 1208
343=head1 AUTHOR 1209=head1 AUTHOR
344 1210
345 Marc Lehmann <pcg@goof.com> 1211 Marc Lehmann <schmorp@schmorp.de>
346 http://www.goof.com/pcg/marc/ 1212 http://home.schmorp.de/
347 1213
348=cut 1214=cut
349 1215

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