--- libev/ev.pod 2007/11/23 16:17:12 1.34 +++ libev/ev.pod 2007/11/26 10:20:43 1.46 @@ -108,6 +108,16 @@ (assuming you know what you are doing). This is the set of backends that libev will probe for if you specify no backends explicitly. +=item unsigned int ev_embeddable_backends () + +Returns the set of backends that are embeddable in other event loops. This +is the theoretical, all-platform, value. To find which backends +might be supported on the current system, you would need to look at +C, likewise for +recommended ones. + +See the description of C watchers for more info. + =item ev_set_allocator (void *(*cb)(void *ptr, long size)) Sets the allocation function to use (the prototype is similar to the @@ -315,8 +325,12 @@ =item ev_default_destroy () Destroys the default loop again (frees all memory and kernel state -etc.). This stops all registered event watchers (by not touching them in -any way whatsoever, although you cannot rely on this :). +etc.). None of the active event watchers will be stopped in the normal +sense, so e.g. C might still return true. It is your +responsibility to either stop all watchers cleanly yoursef I +calling this function, or cope with the fact afterwards (which is usually +the easiest thing, youc na just ignore the watchers and/or C them +for example). =item ev_loop_destroy (loop) @@ -456,6 +470,7 @@ =back + =head1 ANATOMY OF A WATCHER A watcher is a structure that you create and register to record your @@ -497,12 +512,7 @@ As long as your watcher is active (has been started but not stopped) you must not touch the values stored in it. Most specifically you must never -reinitialise it or call its set macro. - -You can check whether an event is active by calling the C macro. To see whether an event is outstanding (but the -callback for it has not been called yet) you can use the C macro. +reinitialise it or call its C macro. Each and every callback receives the event loop pointer as first, the registered watcher structure as second, and a bitset of received events as @@ -569,6 +579,85 @@ =back +=head2 GENERIC WATCHER FUNCTIONS + +In the following description, C stands for the watcher type, +e.g. C for C watchers and C for C watchers. + +=over 4 + +=item C (ev_TYPE *watcher, callback) + +This macro initialises the generic portion of a watcher. The contents +of the watcher object can be arbitrary (so C will do). Only +the generic parts of the watcher are initialised, you I to call +the type-specific C macro afterwards to initialise the +type-specific parts. For each type there is also a C macro +which rolls both calls into one. + +You can reinitialise a watcher at any time as long as it has been stopped +(or never started) and there are no pending events outstanding. + +The callback is always of type C. + +=item C (ev_TYPE *, [args]) + +This macro initialises the type-specific parts of a watcher. You need to +call C at least once before you call this macro, but you can +call C any number of times. You must not, however, call this +macro on a watcher that is active (it can be pending, however, which is a +difference to the C macro). + +Although some watcher types do not have type-specific arguments +(e.g. C) you still need to call its C macro. + +=item C (ev_TYPE *watcher, callback, [args]) + +This convinience macro rolls both C and C macro +calls into a single call. This is the most convinient method to initialise +a watcher. The same limitations apply, of course. + +=item C (loop *, ev_TYPE *watcher) + +Starts (activates) the given watcher. Only active watchers will receive +events. If the watcher is already active nothing will happen. + +=item C (loop *, ev_TYPE *watcher) + +Stops the given watcher again (if active) and clears the pending +status. It is possible that stopped watchers are pending (for example, +non-repeating timers are being stopped when they become pending), but +C ensures that the watcher is neither active nor pending. If +you want to free or reuse the memory used by the watcher it is therefore a +good idea to always call its C function. + +=item bool ev_is_active (ev_TYPE *watcher) + +Returns a true value iff the watcher is active (i.e. it has been started +and not yet been stopped). As long as a watcher is active you must not modify +it. + +=item bool ev_is_pending (ev_TYPE *watcher) + +Returns a true value iff the watcher is pending, (i.e. it has outstanding +events but its callback has not yet been invoked). As long as a watcher +is pending (but not active) you must not call an init function on it (but +C is safe) and you must make sure the watcher is available to +libev (e.g. you cnanot C it). + +=item callback = ev_cb (ev_TYPE *watcher) + +Returns the callback currently set on the watcher. + +=item ev_cb_set (ev_TYPE *watcher, callback) + +Change the callback. You can change the callback at virtually any time +(modulo threads). + +=back + + =head2 ASSOCIATING CUSTOM DATA WITH A WATCHER Each watcher has, by default, a member C that you can change @@ -605,13 +694,15 @@ information given in the last section. -=head2 C - is this file descriptor readable or writable +=head2 C - is this file descriptor readable or writable? I/O watchers check whether a file descriptor is readable or writable -in each iteration of the event loop (This behaviour is called -level-triggering because you keep receiving events as long as the -condition persists. Remember you can stop the watcher if you don't want to -act on the event and neither want to receive future events). +in each iteration of the event loop, or, more precisely, when reading +would not block the process and writing would at least be able to write +some data. This behaviour is called level-triggering because you keep +receiving events as long as the condition persists. Remember you can stop +the watcher if you don't want to act on the event and neither want to +receive future events. In general you can register as many read and/or write event watchers per fd as you want (as long as you don't confuse yourself). Setting all file @@ -621,33 +712,37 @@ You have to be careful with dup'ed file descriptors, though. Some backends (the linux epoll backend is a notable example) cannot handle dup'ed file descriptors correctly if you register interest in two or more fds pointing -to the same underlying file/socket etc. description (that is, they share +to the same underlying file/socket/etc. description (that is, they share the same underlying "file open"). If you must do this, then force the use of a known-to-be-good backend (at the time of this writing, this includes only C and C). +Another thing you have to watch out for is that it is quite easy to +receive "spurious" readyness notifications, that is your callback might +be called with C but a subsequent C(2) will actually block +because there is no data. Not only are some backends known to create a +lot of those (for example solaris ports), it is very easy to get into +this situation even with a relatively standard program structure. Thus +it is best to always use non-blocking I/O: An extra C(2) returning +C is far preferable to a program hanging until some data arrives. + +If you cannot run the fd in non-blocking mode (for example you should not +play around with an Xlib connection), then you have to seperately re-test +wether a file descriptor is really ready with a known-to-be good interface +such as poll (fortunately in our Xlib example, Xlib already does this on +its own, so its quite safe to use). + =over 4 =item ev_io_init (ev_io *, callback, int fd, int events) =item ev_io_set (ev_io *, int fd, int events) -Configures an C watcher. The fd is the file descriptor to rceeive -events for and events is either C, C or C to receive the given events. - -Please note that most of the more scalable backend mechanisms (for example -epoll and solaris ports) can result in spurious readyness notifications -for file descriptors, so you practically need to use non-blocking I/O (and -treat callback invocation as hint only), or retest separately with a safe -interface before doing I/O (XLib can do this), or force the use of either -C or C, which don't suffer from this -problem. Also note that it is quite easy to have your callback invoked -when the readyness condition is no longer valid even when employing -typical ways of handling events, so its a good idea to use non-blocking -I/O unconditionally. +Configures an C watcher. The C is the file descriptor to +rceeive events for and events is either C, C or +C to receive the given events. =back @@ -670,7 +765,7 @@ ev_loop (loop, 0); -=head2 C - relative and optionally recurring timeouts +=head2 C - relative and optionally repeating timeouts Timer watchers are simple relative timers that generate an event after a given time, and optionally repeating in regular intervals after that. @@ -762,7 +857,7 @@ ev_timer_again (&mytimer); -=head2 C - to cron or not to cron +=head2 C - to cron or not to cron? Periodic watchers are also timers of a kind, but they are very versatile (and unfortunately a bit complex). @@ -770,7 +865,7 @@ Unlike C's, they are not based on real time (or relative time) but on wallclock time (absolute time). You can tell a periodic watcher to trigger "at" some specific point in time. For example, if you tell a -periodic watcher to trigger in 10 seconds (by specifiying e.g. c) and then reset your system clock to the last year, then it will take a year to trigger the event (unlike an C, which would trigger roughly 10 seconds later and of course not if you reset your system time @@ -900,7 +995,7 @@ ev_periodic_start (loop, &hourly_tick); -=head2 C - signal me when a signal gets signalled +=head2 C - signal me when a signal gets signalled! Signal watchers will trigger an event when the process receives a specific signal one or more times. Even though signals are very asynchronous, libev @@ -925,7 +1020,8 @@ =back -=head2 C - wait for pid status changes + +=head2 C - watch out for process status changes Child watchers trigger when your process receives a SIGCHLD in response to some child status changes (most typically when a child of yours dies). @@ -958,7 +1054,7 @@ ev_signal_start (loop, &sigint_cb); -=head2 C - when you've got nothing better to do +=head2 C - when you've got nothing better to do... Idle watchers trigger events when there are no other events are pending (prepare, check and other idle watchers do not count). That is, as long @@ -1002,15 +1098,27 @@ ev_idle_start (loop, idle_cb); -=head2 C and C - customise your event loop +=head2 C and C - customise your event loop! Prepare and check watchers are usually (but not always) used in tandem: prepare watchers get invoked before the process blocks and check watchers afterwards. -Their main purpose is to integrate other event mechanisms into libev. This -could be used, for example, to track variable changes, implement your own -watchers, integrate net-snmp or a coroutine library and lots more. +You I call C or similar functions that enter +the current event loop from either C or C +watchers. Other loops than the current one are fine, however. The +rationale behind this is that you do not need to check for recursion in +those watchers, i.e. the sequence will always be C, blocking, +C so if you have one watcher of each kind they will always be +called in pairs bracketing the blocking call. + +Their main purpose is to integrate other event mechanisms into libev and +their use is somewhat advanced. This could be used, for example, to track +variable changes, implement your own watchers, integrate net-snmp or a +coroutine library and lots more. They are also occasionally useful if +you cache some data and want to flush it before blocking (for example, +in X programs you might want to do an C in an C +watcher). This is done by examining in each prepare call which file descriptors need to be watched by the other library, registering C watchers for @@ -1042,7 +1150,151 @@ =back -Example: *TODO*. +Example: To include a library such as adns, you would add IO watchers +and a timeout watcher in a prepare handler, as required by libadns, and +in a check watcher, destroy them and call into libadns. What follows is +pseudo-code only of course: + + static ev_io iow [nfd]; + static ev_timer tw; + + static void + io_cb (ev_loop *loop, ev_io *w, int revents) + { + // set the relevant poll flags + // could also call adns_processreadable etc. here + struct pollfd *fd = (struct pollfd *)w->data; + if (revents & EV_READ ) fd->revents |= fd->events & POLLIN; + if (revents & EV_WRITE) fd->revents |= fd->events & POLLOUT; + } + + // create io watchers for each fd and a timer before blocking + static void + adns_prepare_cb (ev_loop *loop, ev_prepare *w, int revents) + { + int timeout = 3600000;truct pollfd fds [nfd]; + // actual code will need to loop here and realloc etc. + adns_beforepoll (ads, fds, &nfd, &timeout, timeval_from (ev_time ())); + + /* the callback is illegal, but won't be called as we stop during check */ + ev_timer_init (&tw, 0, timeout * 1e-3); + ev_timer_start (loop, &tw); + + // create on ev_io per pollfd + for (int i = 0; i < nfd; ++i) + { + ev_io_init (iow + i, io_cb, fds [i].fd, + ((fds [i].events & POLLIN ? EV_READ : 0) + | (fds [i].events & POLLOUT ? EV_WRITE : 0))); + + fds [i].revents = 0; + iow [i].data = fds + i; + ev_io_start (loop, iow + i); + } + } + + // stop all watchers after blocking + static void + adns_check_cb (ev_loop *loop, ev_check *w, int revents) + { + ev_timer_stop (loop, &tw); + + for (int i = 0; i < nfd; ++i) + ev_io_stop (loop, iow + i); + + adns_afterpoll (adns, fds, nfd, timeval_from (ev_now (loop)); + } + + +=head2 C - when one backend isn't enough... + +This is a rather advanced watcher type that lets you embed one event loop +into another (currently only C events are supported in the embedded +loop, other types of watchers might be handled in a delayed or incorrect +fashion and must not be used). + +There are primarily two reasons you would want that: work around bugs and +prioritise I/O. + +As an example for a bug workaround, the kqueue backend might only support +sockets on some platform, so it is unusable as generic backend, but you +still want to make use of it because you have many sockets and it scales +so nicely. In this case, you would create a kqueue-based loop and embed it +into your default loop (which might use e.g. poll). Overall operation will +be a bit slower because first libev has to poll and then call kevent, but +at least you can use both at what they are best. + +As for prioritising I/O: rarely you have the case where some fds have +to be watched and handled very quickly (with low latency), and even +priorities and idle watchers might have too much overhead. In this case +you would put all the high priority stuff in one loop and all the rest in +a second one, and embed the second one in the first. + +As long as the watcher is active, the callback will be invoked every time +there might be events pending in the embedded loop. The callback must then +call C to make a single sweep and invoke +their callbacks (you could also start an idle watcher to give the embedded +loop strictly lower priority for example). You can also set the callback +to C<0>, in which case the embed watcher will automatically execute the +embedded loop sweep. + +As long as the watcher is started it will automatically handle events. The +callback will be invoked whenever some events have been handled. You can +set the callback to C<0> to avoid having to specify one if you are not +interested in that. + +Also, there have not currently been made special provisions for forking: +when you fork, you not only have to call C on both loops, +but you will also have to stop and restart any C watchers +yourself. + +Unfortunately, not all backends are embeddable, only the ones returned by +C are, which, unfortunately, does not include any +portable one. + +So when you want to use this feature you will always have to be prepared +that you cannot get an embeddable loop. The recommended way to get around +this is to have a separate variables for your embeddable loop, try to +create it, and if that fails, use the normal loop for everything: + + struct ev_loop *loop_hi = ev_default_init (0); + struct ev_loop *loop_lo = 0; + struct ev_embed embed; + + // see if there is a chance of getting one that works + // (remember that a flags value of 0 means autodetection) + loop_lo = ev_embeddable_backends () & ev_recommended_backends () + ? ev_loop_new (ev_embeddable_backends () & ev_recommended_backends ()) + : 0; + + // if we got one, then embed it, otherwise default to loop_hi + if (loop_lo) + { + ev_embed_init (&embed, 0, loop_lo); + ev_embed_start (loop_hi, &embed); + } + else + loop_lo = loop_hi; + +=over 4 + +=item ev_embed_init (ev_embed *, callback, struct ev_loop *embedded_loop) + +=item ev_embed_set (ev_embed *, callback, struct ev_loop *embedded_loop) + +Configures the watcher to embed the given loop, which must be +embeddable. If the callback is C<0>, then C will be +invoked automatically, otherwise it is the responsibility of the callback +to invoke it (it will continue to be called until the sweep has been done, +if you do not want thta, you need to temporarily stop the embed watcher). + +=item ev_embed_sweep (loop, ev_embed *) + +Make a single, non-blocking sweep over the embedded loop. This works +similarly to C, but in the most +apropriate way for embedded loops. + +=back =head1 OTHER FUNCTIONS @@ -1083,20 +1335,21 @@ ev_once (STDIN_FILENO, EV_READ, 10., stdin_ready, 0); -=item ev_feed_event (loop, watcher, int events) +=item ev_feed_event (ev_loop *, watcher *, int revents) Feeds the given event set into the event loop, as if the specified event had happened for the specified watcher (which must be a pointer to an initialised but not necessarily started event watcher). -=item ev_feed_fd_event (loop, int fd, int revents) +=item ev_feed_fd_event (ev_loop *, int fd, int revents) Feed an event on the given fd, as if a file descriptor backend detected the given events it. -=item ev_feed_signal_event (loop, int signum) +=item ev_feed_signal_event (ev_loop *loop, int signum) -Feed an event as if the given signal occured (loop must be the default loop!). +Feed an event as if the given signal occured (C must be the default +loop!). =back @@ -1130,7 +1383,408 @@ =head1 C++ SUPPORT -TBD. +Libev comes with some simplistic wrapper classes for C++ that mainly allow +you to use some convinience methods to start/stop watchers and also change +the callback model to a model using method callbacks on objects. + +To use it, + + #include + +(it is not installed by default). This automatically includes F +and puts all of its definitions (many of them macros) into the global +namespace. All C++ specific things are put into the C namespace. + +It should support all the same embedding options as F, most notably +C. + +Here is a list of things available in the C namespace: + +=over 4 + +=item C, C etc. + +These are just enum values with the same values as the C etc. +macros from F. + +=item C, C + +Aliases to the same types/functions as with the C prefix. + +=item C, C, C, C, C etc. + +For each C watcher in F there is a corresponding class of +the same name in the C namespace, with the exception of C +which is called C to avoid clashes with the C macro +defines by many implementations. + +All of those classes have these methods: + +=over 4 + +=item ev::TYPE::TYPE (object *, object::method *) + +=item ev::TYPE::TYPE (object *, object::method *, struct ev_loop *) + +=item ev::TYPE::~TYPE + +The constructor takes a pointer to an object and a method pointer to +the event handler callback to call in this class. The constructor calls +C for you, which means you have to call the C method +before starting it. If you do not specify a loop then the constructor +automatically associates the default loop with this watcher. + +The destructor automatically stops the watcher if it is active. + +=item w->set (struct ev_loop *) + +Associates a different C with this watcher. You can only +do this when the watcher is inactive (and not pending either). + +=item w->set ([args]) + +Basically the same as C, with the same args. Must be +called at least once. Unlike the C counterpart, an active watcher gets +automatically stopped and restarted. + +=item w->start () + +Starts the watcher. Note that there is no C argument as the +constructor already takes the loop. + +=item w->stop () + +Stops the watcher if it is active. Again, no C argument. + +=item w->again () C, C only + +For C and C, this invokes the corresponding +C function. + +=item w->sweep () C only + +Invokes C. + +=back + +=back + +Example: Define a class with an IO and idle watcher, start one of them in +the constructor. + + class myclass + { + ev_io io; void io_cb (ev::io &w, int revents); + ev_idle idle void idle_cb (ev::idle &w, int revents); + + myclass (); + } + + myclass::myclass (int fd) + : io (this, &myclass::io_cb), + idle (this, &myclass::idle_cb) + { + io.start (fd, ev::READ); + } + +=head1 EMBEDDING + +Libev can (and often is) directly embedded into host +applications. Examples of applications that embed it include the Deliantra +Game Server, the EV perl module, the GNU Virtual Private Ethernet (gvpe) +and rxvt-unicode. + +The goal is to enable you to just copy the neecssary files into your +source directory without having to change even a single line in them, so +you can easily upgrade by simply copying (or having a checked-out copy of +libev somewhere in your source tree). + +=head2 FILESETS + +Depending on what features you need you need to include one or more sets of files +in your app. + +=head3 CORE EVENT LOOP + +To include only the libev core (all the C functions), with manual +configuration (no autoconf): + + #define EV_STANDALONE 1 + #include "ev.c" + +This will automatically include F, too, and should be done in a +single C source file only to provide the function implementations. To use +it, do the same for F in all files wishing to use this API (best +done by writing a wrapper around F that you can include instead and +where you can put other configuration options): + + #define EV_STANDALONE 1 + #include "ev.h" + +Both header files and implementation files can be compiled with a C++ +compiler (at least, thats a stated goal, and breakage will be treated +as a bug). + +You need the following files in your source tree, or in a directory +in your include path (e.g. in libev/ when using -Ilibev): + + ev.h + ev.c + ev_vars.h + ev_wrap.h + + ev_win32.c required on win32 platforms only + + ev_select.c only when select backend is enabled (which is by default) + ev_poll.c only when poll backend is enabled (disabled by default) + ev_epoll.c only when the epoll backend is enabled (disabled by default) + ev_kqueue.c only when the kqueue backend is enabled (disabled by default) + ev_port.c only when the solaris port backend is enabled (disabled by default) + +F includes the backend files directly when enabled, so you only need +to compile this single file. + +=head3 LIBEVENT COMPATIBILITY API + +To include the libevent compatibility API, also include: + + #include "event.c" + +in the file including F, and: + + #include "event.h" + +in the files that want to use the libevent API. This also includes F. + +You need the following additional files for this: + + event.h + event.c + +=head3 AUTOCONF SUPPORT + +Instead of using C and providing your config in +whatever way you want, you can also C in your +F and leave C undefined. F will then +include F and configure itself accordingly. + +For this of course you need the m4 file: + + libev.m4 + +=head2 PREPROCESSOR SYMBOLS/MACROS + +Libev can be configured via a variety of preprocessor symbols you have to define +before including any of its files. The default is not to build for multiplicity +and only include the select backend. + +=over 4 + +=item EV_STANDALONE + +Must always be C<1> if you do not use autoconf configuration, which +keeps libev from including F, and it also defines dummy +implementations for some libevent functions (such as logging, which is not +supported). It will also not define any of the structs usually found in +F that are not directly supported by the libev core alone. + +=item EV_USE_MONOTONIC + +If defined to be C<1>, libev will try to detect the availability of the +monotonic clock option at both compiletime and runtime. Otherwise no use +of the monotonic clock option will be attempted. If you enable this, you +usually have to link against librt or something similar. Enabling it when +the functionality isn't available is safe, though, althoguh you have +to make sure you link against any libraries where the C +function is hiding in (often F<-lrt>). + +=item EV_USE_REALTIME + +If defined to be C<1>, libev will try to detect the availability of the +realtime clock option at compiletime (and assume its availability at +runtime if successful). Otherwise no use of the realtime clock option will +be attempted. This effectively replaces C by C and will not normally affect correctness. See tzhe note about libraries +in the description of C, though. + +=item EV_USE_SELECT + +If undefined or defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the +C