[ViewVC] Diff of: cvs/libev/ev.pod

Comparing libev/ev.pod (file contents):
Revision 1.115 by root, Mon Dec 31 01:32:59 2007 UTC vs.
Revision 1.145 by root, Wed Apr 9 22:07:50 2008 UTC

…		…
6		6
7	#include <ev.h>	7	#include <ev.h>
8		8
9	=head2 EXAMPLE PROGRAM	9	=head2 EXAMPLE PROGRAM
10		10
		11	// a single header file is required
11	#include <ev.h>	12	#include <ev.h>
12		13
		14	// every watcher type has its own typedef'd struct
		15	// with the name ev_<type>
13	ev_io stdin_watcher;	16	ev_io stdin_watcher;
14	ev_timer timeout_watcher;	17	ev_timer timeout_watcher;
15		18
		19	// all watcher callbacks have a similar signature
16	/* called when data readable on stdin */	20	// this callback is called when data is readable on stdin
17	static void	21	static void
18	stdin_cb (EV_P_ struct ev_io *w, int revents)	22	stdin_cb (EV_P_ struct ev_io *w, int revents)
19	{	23	{
20	/* puts ("stdin ready"); */	24	puts ("stdin ready");
21	ev_io_stop (EV_A_ w); /* just a syntax example */	25	// for one-shot events, one must manually stop the watcher
22	ev_unloop (EV_A_ EVUNLOOP_ALL); /* leave all loop calls */	26	// with its corresponding stop function.
		27	ev_io_stop (EV_A_ w);
		28
		29	// this causes all nested ev_loop's to stop iterating
		30	ev_unloop (EV_A_ EVUNLOOP_ALL);
23	}	31	}
24		32
		33	// another callback, this time for a time-out
25	static void	34	static void
26	timeout_cb (EV_P_ struct ev_timer *w, int revents)	35	timeout_cb (EV_P_ struct ev_timer *w, int revents)
27	{	36	{
28	/* puts ("timeout"); */	37	puts ("timeout");
29	ev_unloop (EV_A_ EVUNLOOP_ONE); /* leave one loop call */	38	// this causes the innermost ev_loop to stop iterating
		39	ev_unloop (EV_A_ EVUNLOOP_ONE);
30	}	40	}
31		41
32	int	42	int
33	main (void)	43	main (void)
34	{	44	{
		45	// use the default event loop unless you have special needs
35	struct ev_loop *loop = ev_default_loop (0);	46	struct ev_loop *loop = ev_default_loop (0);
36		47
37	/* initialise an io watcher, then start it */	48	// initialise an io watcher, then start it
		49	// this one will watch for stdin to become readable
38	ev_io_init (&stdin_watcher, stdin_cb, /STDIN_FILENO/ 0, EV_READ);	50	ev_io_init (&stdin_watcher, stdin_cb, /STDIN_FILENO/ 0, EV_READ);
39	ev_io_start (loop, &stdin_watcher);	51	ev_io_start (loop, &stdin_watcher);
40		52
		53	// initialise a timer watcher, then start it
41	/* simple non-repeating 5.5 second timeout */	54	// simple non-repeating 5.5 second timeout
42	ev_timer_init (&timeout_watcher, timeout_cb, 5.5, 0.);	55	ev_timer_init (&timeout_watcher, timeout_cb, 5.5, 0.);
43	ev_timer_start (loop, &timeout_watcher);	56	ev_timer_start (loop, &timeout_watcher);
44		57
45	/* loop till timeout or data ready */	58	// now wait for events to arrive
46	ev_loop (loop, 0);	59	ev_loop (loop, 0);
47		60
		61	// unloop was called, so exit
48	return 0;	62	return 0;
49	}	63	}
50		64
51	=head1 DESCRIPTION	65	=head1 DESCRIPTION
52		66
53	The newest version of this document is also available as a html-formatted	67	The newest version of this document is also available as an html-formatted
54	web page you might find easier to navigate when reading it for the first	68	web page you might find easier to navigate when reading it for the first
55	time: L<http://cvs.schmorp.de/libev/ev.html>.	69	time: L<http://cvs.schmorp.de/libev/ev.html>.
56		70
57	Libev is an event loop: you register interest in certain events (such as a	71	Libev is an event loop: you register interest in certain events (such as a
58	file descriptor being readable or a timeout occurring), and it will manage	72	file descriptor being readable or a timeout occurring), and it will manage
…		…
84	L<benchmark\|http://libev.schmorp.de/bench.html> comparing it to libevent	98	L<benchmark\|http://libev.schmorp.de/bench.html> comparing it to libevent
85	for example).	99	for example).
86		100
87	=head2 CONVENTIONS	101	=head2 CONVENTIONS
88		102
89	Libev is very configurable. In this manual the default configuration will	103	Libev is very configurable. In this manual the default (and most common)
90	be described, which supports multiple event loops. For more info about	104	configuration will be described, which supports multiple event loops. For
91	various configuration options please have a look at B<EMBED> section in	105	more info about various configuration options please have a look at
92	this manual. If libev was configured without support for multiple event	106	B<EMBED> section in this manual. If libev was configured without support
93	loops, then all functions taking an initial argument of name C<loop>	107	for multiple event loops, then all functions taking an initial argument of
94	(which is always of type C<struct ev_loop *>) will not have this argument.	108	name C<loop> (which is always of type C<struct ev_loop *>) will not have
		109	this argument.
95		110
96	=head2 TIME REPRESENTATION	111	=head2 TIME REPRESENTATION
97		112
98	Libev represents time as a single floating point number, representing the	113	Libev represents time as a single floating point number, representing the
99	(fractional) number of seconds since the (POSIX) epoch (somewhere near	114	(fractional) number of seconds since the (POSIX) epoch (somewhere near
…		…
181	See the description of C<ev_embed> watchers for more info.	196	See the description of C<ev_embed> watchers for more info.
182		197
183	=item ev_set_allocator (void (cb)(void *ptr, long size))	198	=item ev_set_allocator (void (cb)(void *ptr, long size))
184		199
185	Sets the allocation function to use (the prototype is similar - the	200	Sets the allocation function to use (the prototype is similar - the
186	semantics is identical - to the realloc C function). It is used to	201	semantics are identical to the C<realloc> C89/SuS/POSIX function). It is
187	allocate and free memory (no surprises here). If it returns zero when	202	used to allocate and free memory (no surprises here). If it returns zero
188	memory needs to be allocated, the library might abort or take some	203	when memory needs to be allocated (C<size != 0>), the library might abort
189	potentially destructive action. The default is your system realloc	204	or take some potentially destructive action.
190	function.	205
		206	Since some systems (at least OpenBSD and Darwin) fail to implement
		207	correct C<realloc> semantics, libev will use a wrapper around the system
		208	C<realloc> and C<free> functions by default.
191		209
192	You could override this function in high-availability programs to, say,	210	You could override this function in high-availability programs to, say,
193	free some memory if it cannot allocate memory, to use a special allocator,	211	free some memory if it cannot allocate memory, to use a special allocator,
194	or even to sleep a while and retry until some memory is available.	212	or even to sleep a while and retry until some memory is available.
195		213
196	Example: Replace the libev allocator with one that waits a bit and then	214	Example: Replace the libev allocator with one that waits a bit and then
197	retries).	215	retries (example requires a standards-compliant C<realloc>).
198		216
199	static void *	217	static void *
200	persistent_realloc (void *ptr, size_t size)	218	persistent_realloc (void *ptr, size_t size)
201	{	219	{
202	for (;;)	220	for (;;)
…		…
241		259
242	An event loop is described by a C<struct ev_loop *>. The library knows two	260	An event loop is described by a C<struct ev_loop *>. The library knows two
243	types of such loops, the I<default> loop, which supports signals and child	261	types of such loops, the I<default> loop, which supports signals and child
244	events, and dynamically created loops which do not.	262	events, and dynamically created loops which do not.
245		263
246	If you use threads, a common model is to run the default event loop
247	in your main thread (or in a separate thread) and for each thread you
248	create, you also create another event loop. Libev itself does no locking
249	whatsoever, so if you mix calls to the same event loop in different
250	threads, make sure you lock (this is usually a bad idea, though, even if
251	done correctly, because it's hideous and inefficient).
252
253	=over 4	264	=over 4
254		265
255	=item struct ev_loop *ev_default_loop (unsigned int flags)	266	=item struct ev_loop *ev_default_loop (unsigned int flags)
256		267
257	This will initialise the default event loop if it hasn't been initialised	268	This will initialise the default event loop if it hasn't been initialised
…		…
259	false. If it already was initialised it simply returns it (and ignores the	270	false. If it already was initialised it simply returns it (and ignores the
260	flags. If that is troubling you, check C<ev_backend ()> afterwards).	271	flags. If that is troubling you, check C<ev_backend ()> afterwards).
261		272
262	If you don't know what event loop to use, use the one returned from this	273	If you don't know what event loop to use, use the one returned from this
263	function.	274	function.
		275
		276	Note that this function is I<not> thread-safe, so if you want to use it
		277	from multiple threads, you have to lock (note also that this is unlikely,
		278	as loops cannot bes hared easily between threads anyway).
		279
		280	The default loop is the only loop that can handle C<ev_signal> and
		281	C<ev_child> watchers, and to do this, it always registers a handler
		282	for C<SIGCHLD>. If this is a problem for your app you can either
		283	create a dynamic loop with C<ev_loop_new> that doesn't do that, or you
		284	can simply overwrite the C<SIGCHLD> signal handler I<after> calling
		285	C<ev_default_init>.
264		286
265	The flags argument can be used to specify special behaviour or specific	287	The flags argument can be used to specify special behaviour or specific
266	backends to use, and is usually specified as C<0> (or C<EVFLAG_AUTO>).	288	backends to use, and is usually specified as C<0> (or C<EVFLAG_AUTO>).
267		289
268	The following flags are supported:	290	The following flags are supported:
…		…
290	enabling this flag.	312	enabling this flag.
291		313
292	This works by calling C<getpid ()> on every iteration of the loop,	314	This works by calling C<getpid ()> on every iteration of the loop,
293	and thus this might slow down your event loop if you do a lot of loop	315	and thus this might slow down your event loop if you do a lot of loop
294	iterations and little real work, but is usually not noticeable (on my	316	iterations and little real work, but is usually not noticeable (on my
295	Linux system for example, C<getpid> is actually a simple 5-insn sequence	317	GNU/Linux system for example, C<getpid> is actually a simple 5-insn sequence
296	without a syscall and thus I<very> fast, but my Linux system also has	318	without a syscall and thus I<very> fast, but my GNU/Linux system also has
297	C<pthread_atfork> which is even faster).	319	C<pthread_atfork> which is even faster).
298		320
299	The big advantage of this flag is that you can forget about fork (and	321	The big advantage of this flag is that you can forget about fork (and
300	forget about forgetting to tell libev about forking) when you use this	322	forget about forgetting to tell libev about forking) when you use this
301	flag.	323	flag.
…		…
332	For few fds, this backend is a bit little slower than poll and select,	354	For few fds, this backend is a bit little slower than poll and select,
333	but it scales phenomenally better. While poll and select usually scale	355	but it scales phenomenally better. While poll and select usually scale
334	like O(total_fds) where n is the total number of fds (or the highest fd),	356	like O(total_fds) where n is the total number of fds (or the highest fd),
335	epoll scales either O(1) or O(active_fds). The epoll design has a number	357	epoll scales either O(1) or O(active_fds). The epoll design has a number
336	of shortcomings, such as silently dropping events in some hard-to-detect	358	of shortcomings, such as silently dropping events in some hard-to-detect
337	cases and rewiring a syscall per fd change, no fork support and bad	359	cases and requiring a syscall per fd change, no fork support and bad
338	support for dup.	360	support for dup.
339		361
340	While stopping, setting and starting an I/O watcher in the same iteration	362	While stopping, setting and starting an I/O watcher in the same iteration
341	will result in some caching, there is still a syscall per such incident	363	will result in some caching, there is still a syscall per such incident
342	(because the fd could point to a different file description now), so its	364	(because the fd could point to a different file description now), so its
…		…
403	While this backend scales well, it requires one system call per active	425	While this backend scales well, it requires one system call per active
404	file descriptor per loop iteration. For small and medium numbers of file	426	file descriptor per loop iteration. For small and medium numbers of file
405	descriptors a "slow" C<EVBACKEND_SELECT> or C<EVBACKEND_POLL> backend	427	descriptors a "slow" C<EVBACKEND_SELECT> or C<EVBACKEND_POLL> backend
406	might perform better.	428	might perform better.
407		429
		430	On the positive side, ignoring the spurious readyness notifications, this
		431	backend actually performed to specification in all tests and is fully
		432	embeddable, which is a rare feat among the OS-specific backends.
		433
408	=item C<EVBACKEND_ALL>	434	=item C<EVBACKEND_ALL>
409		435
410	Try all backends (even potentially broken ones that wouldn't be tried	436	Try all backends (even potentially broken ones that wouldn't be tried
411	with C<EVFLAG_AUTO>). Since this is a mask, you can do stuff such as	437	with C<EVFLAG_AUTO>). Since this is a mask, you can do stuff such as
412	C<EVBACKEND_ALL & ~EVBACKEND_KQUEUE>.	438	C<EVBACKEND_ALL & ~EVBACKEND_KQUEUE>.
…		…
414	It is definitely not recommended to use this flag.	440	It is definitely not recommended to use this flag.
415		441
416	=back	442	=back
417		443
418	If one or more of these are ored into the flags value, then only these	444	If one or more of these are ored into the flags value, then only these
419	backends will be tried (in the reverse order as given here). If none are	445	backends will be tried (in the reverse order as listed here). If none are
420	specified, most compiled-in backend will be tried, usually in reverse	446	specified, all backends in C<ev_recommended_backends ()> will be tried.
421	order of their flag values :)
422		447
423	The most typical usage is like this:	448	The most typical usage is like this:
424		449
425	if (!ev_default_loop (0))	450	if (!ev_default_loop (0))
426	fatal ("could not initialise libev, bad $LIBEV_FLAGS in environment?");	451	fatal ("could not initialise libev, bad $LIBEV_FLAGS in environment?");
…		…
440		465
441	Similar to C<ev_default_loop>, but always creates a new event loop that is	466	Similar to C<ev_default_loop>, but always creates a new event loop that is
442	always distinct from the default loop. Unlike the default loop, it cannot	467	always distinct from the default loop. Unlike the default loop, it cannot
443	handle signal and child watchers, and attempts to do so will be greeted by	468	handle signal and child watchers, and attempts to do so will be greeted by
444	undefined behaviour (or a failed assertion if assertions are enabled).	469	undefined behaviour (or a failed assertion if assertions are enabled).
		470
		471	Note that this function I<is> thread-safe, and the recommended way to use
		472	libev with threads is indeed to create one loop per thread, and using the
		473	default loop in the "main" or "initial" thread.
445		474
446	Example: Try to create a event loop that uses epoll and nothing else.	475	Example: Try to create a event loop that uses epoll and nothing else.
447		476
448	struct ev_loop *epoller = ev_loop_new (EVBACKEND_EPOLL \| EVFLAG_NOENV);	477	struct ev_loop *epoller = ev_loop_new (EVBACKEND_EPOLL \| EVFLAG_NOENV);
449	if (!epoller)	478	if (!epoller)
…		…
473	Like C<ev_default_destroy>, but destroys an event loop created by an	502	Like C<ev_default_destroy>, but destroys an event loop created by an
474	earlier call to C<ev_loop_new>.	503	earlier call to C<ev_loop_new>.
475		504
476	=item ev_default_fork ()	505	=item ev_default_fork ()
477		506
		507	This function sets a flag that causes subsequent C<ev_loop> iterations
478	This function reinitialises the kernel state for backends that have	508	to reinitialise the kernel state for backends that have one. Despite the
479	one. Despite the name, you can call it anytime, but it makes most sense	509	name, you can call it anytime, but it makes most sense after forking, in
480	after forking, in either the parent or child process (or both, but that	510	the child process (or both child and parent, but that again makes little
481	again makes little sense).	511	sense). You I<must> call it in the child before using any of the libev
		512	functions, and it will only take effect at the next C<ev_loop> iteration.
482		513
483	You I<must> call this function in the child process after forking if and	514	On the other hand, you only need to call this function in the child
484	only if you want to use the event library in both processes. If you just	515	process if and only if you want to use the event library in the child. If
485	fork+exec, you don't have to call it.	516	you just fork+exec, you don't have to call it at all.
486		517
487	The function itself is quite fast and it's usually not a problem to call	518	The function itself is quite fast and it's usually not a problem to call
488	it just in case after a fork. To make this easy, the function will fit in	519	it just in case after a fork. To make this easy, the function will fit in
489	quite nicely into a call to C<pthread_atfork>:	520	quite nicely into a call to C<pthread_atfork>:
490		521
491	pthread_atfork (0, 0, ev_default_fork);	522	pthread_atfork (0, 0, ev_default_fork);
492		523
493	At the moment, C<EVBACKEND_SELECT> and C<EVBACKEND_POLL> are safe to use
494	without calling this function, so if you force one of those backends you
495	do not need to care.
496
497	=item ev_loop_fork (loop)	524	=item ev_loop_fork (loop)
498		525
499	Like C<ev_default_fork>, but acts on an event loop created by	526	Like C<ev_default_fork>, but acts on an event loop created by
500	C<ev_loop_new>. Yes, you have to call this on every allocated event loop	527	C<ev_loop_new>. Yes, you have to call this on every allocated event loop
501	after fork, and how you do this is entirely your own problem.	528	after fork, and how you do this is entirely your own problem.
		529
		530	=item int ev_is_default_loop (loop)
		531
		532	Returns true when the given loop actually is the default loop, false otherwise.
502		533
503	=item unsigned int ev_loop_count (loop)	534	=item unsigned int ev_loop_count (loop)
504		535
505	Returns the count of loop iterations for the loop, which is identical to	536	Returns the count of loop iterations for the loop, which is identical to
506	the number of times libev did poll for new events. It starts at C<0> and	537	the number of times libev did poll for new events. It starts at C<0> and
…		…
605	returning, ev_unref() after starting, and ev_ref() before stopping it. For	636	returning, ev_unref() after starting, and ev_ref() before stopping it. For
606	example, libev itself uses this for its internal signal pipe: It is not	637	example, libev itself uses this for its internal signal pipe: It is not
607	visible to the libev user and should not keep C<ev_loop> from exiting if	638	visible to the libev user and should not keep C<ev_loop> from exiting if
608	no event watchers registered by it are active. It is also an excellent	639	no event watchers registered by it are active. It is also an excellent
609	way to do this for generic recurring timers or from within third-party	640	way to do this for generic recurring timers or from within third-party
610	libraries. Just remember to I<unref after start> and I<ref before stop>.	641	libraries. Just remember to I<unref after start> and I<ref before stop>
		642	(but only if the watcher wasn't active before, or was active before,
		643	respectively).
611		644
612	Example: Create a signal watcher, but keep it from keeping C<ev_loop>	645	Example: Create a signal watcher, but keep it from keeping C<ev_loop>
613	running when nothing else is active.	646	running when nothing else is active.
614		647
615	struct ev_signal exitsig;	648	struct ev_signal exitsig;
…		…
763		796
764	=item C<EV_FORK>	797	=item C<EV_FORK>
765		798
766	The event loop has been resumed in the child process after fork (see	799	The event loop has been resumed in the child process after fork (see
767	C<ev_fork>).	800	C<ev_fork>).
		801
		802	=item C<EV_ASYNC>
		803
		804	The given async watcher has been asynchronously notified (see C<ev_async>).
768		805
769	=item C<EV_ERROR>	806	=item C<EV_ERROR>
770		807
771	An unspecified error has occured, the watcher has been stopped. This might	808	An unspecified error has occured, the watcher has been stopped. This might
772	happen because the watcher could not be properly started because libev	809	happen because the watcher could not be properly started because libev
…		…
1052	To support fork in your programs, you either have to call	1089	To support fork in your programs, you either have to call
1053	C<ev_default_fork ()> or C<ev_loop_fork ()> after a fork in the child,	1090	C<ev_default_fork ()> or C<ev_loop_fork ()> after a fork in the child,
1054	enable C<EVFLAG_FORKCHECK>, or resort to C<EVBACKEND_SELECT> or	1091	enable C<EVFLAG_FORKCHECK>, or resort to C<EVBACKEND_SELECT> or
1055	C<EVBACKEND_POLL>.	1092	C<EVBACKEND_POLL>.
1056		1093
		1094	=head3 The special problem of SIGPIPE
		1095
		1096	While not really specific to libev, it is easy to forget about SIGPIPE:
		1097	when reading from a pipe whose other end has been closed, your program
		1098	gets send a SIGPIPE, which, by default, aborts your program. For most
		1099	programs this is sensible behaviour, for daemons, this is usually
		1100	undesirable.
		1101
		1102	So when you encounter spurious, unexplained daemon exits, make sure you
		1103	ignore SIGPIPE (and maybe make sure you log the exit status of your daemon
		1104	somewhere, as that would have given you a big clue).
		1105
1057		1106
1058	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions	1107	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions
1059		1108
1060	=over 4	1109	=over 4
1061		1110
…		…
1138	configure a timer to trigger every 10 seconds, then it will trigger at	1187	configure a timer to trigger every 10 seconds, then it will trigger at
1139	exactly 10 second intervals. If, however, your program cannot keep up with	1188	exactly 10 second intervals. If, however, your program cannot keep up with
1140	the timer (because it takes longer than those 10 seconds to do stuff) the	1189	the timer (because it takes longer than those 10 seconds to do stuff) the
1141	timer will not fire more than once per event loop iteration.	1190	timer will not fire more than once per event loop iteration.
1142		1191
1143	=item ev_timer_again (loop)	1192	=item ev_timer_again (loop, ev_timer *)
1144		1193
1145	This will act as if the timer timed out and restart it again if it is	1194	This will act as if the timer timed out and restart it again if it is
1146	repeating. The exact semantics are:	1195	repeating. The exact semantics are:
1147		1196
1148	If the timer is pending, its pending status is cleared.	1197	If the timer is pending, its pending status is cleared.
…		…
1257	In this configuration the watcher triggers an event at the wallclock time	1306	In this configuration the watcher triggers an event at the wallclock time
1258	C<at> and doesn't repeat. It will not adjust when a time jump occurs,	1307	C<at> and doesn't repeat. It will not adjust when a time jump occurs,
1259	that is, if it is to be run at January 1st 2011 then it will run when the	1308	that is, if it is to be run at January 1st 2011 then it will run when the
1260	system time reaches or surpasses this time.	1309	system time reaches or surpasses this time.
1261		1310
1262	=item * non-repeating interval timer (at = offset, interval > 0, reschedule_cb = 0)	1311	=item * repeating interval timer (at = offset, interval > 0, reschedule_cb = 0)
1263		1312
1264	In this mode the watcher will always be scheduled to time out at the next	1313	In this mode the watcher will always be scheduled to time out at the next
1265	C<at + N * interval> time (for some integer N, which can also be negative)	1314	C<at + N * interval> time (for some integer N, which can also be negative)
1266	and then repeat, regardless of any time jumps.	1315	and then repeat, regardless of any time jumps.
1267		1316
…		…
1401	with the kernel (thus it coexists with your own signal handlers as long	1450	with the kernel (thus it coexists with your own signal handlers as long
1402	as you don't register any with libev). Similarly, when the last signal	1451	as you don't register any with libev). Similarly, when the last signal
1403	watcher for a signal is stopped libev will reset the signal handler to	1452	watcher for a signal is stopped libev will reset the signal handler to
1404	SIG_DFL (regardless of what it was set to before).	1453	SIG_DFL (regardless of what it was set to before).
1405		1454
		1455	If possible and supported, libev will install its handlers with
		1456	C<SA_RESTART> behaviour enabled, so syscalls should not be unduly
		1457	interrupted. If you have a problem with syscalls getting interrupted by
		1458	signals you can block all signals in an C<ev_check> watcher and unblock
		1459	them in an C<ev_prepare> watcher.
		1460
1406	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions and Data Members	1461	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions and Data Members
1407		1462
1408	=over 4	1463	=over 4
1409		1464
1410	=item ev_signal_init (ev_signal *, callback, int signum)	1465	=item ev_signal_init (ev_signal *, callback, int signum)
…		…
1418		1473
1419	The signal the watcher watches out for.	1474	The signal the watcher watches out for.
1420		1475
1421	=back	1476	=back
1422		1477
		1478	=head3 Examples
		1479
		1480	Example: Try to exit cleanly on SIGINT and SIGTERM.
		1481
		1482	static void
		1483	sigint_cb (struct ev_loop loop, struct ev_signal w, int revents)
		1484	{
		1485	ev_unloop (loop, EVUNLOOP_ALL);
		1486	}
		1487
		1488	struct ev_signal signal_watcher;
		1489	ev_signal_init (&signal_watcher, sigint_cb, SIGINT);
		1490	ev_signal_start (loop, &sigint_cb);
		1491
1423		1492
1424	=head2 C<ev_child> - watch out for process status changes	1493	=head2 C<ev_child> - watch out for process status changes
1425		1494
1426	Child watchers trigger when your process receives a SIGCHLD in response to	1495	Child watchers trigger when your process receives a SIGCHLD in response to
1427	some child status changes (most typically when a child of yours dies).	1496	some child status changes (most typically when a child of yours dies). It
		1497	is permissible to install a child watcher I<after> the child has been
		1498	forked (which implies it might have already exited), as long as the event
		1499	loop isn't entered (or is continued from a watcher).
		1500
		1501	Only the default event loop is capable of handling signals, and therefore
		1502	you can only rgeister child watchers in the default event loop.
		1503
		1504	=head3 Process Interaction
		1505
		1506	Libev grabs C<SIGCHLD> as soon as the default event loop is
		1507	initialised. This is necessary to guarantee proper behaviour even if
		1508	the first child watcher is started after the child exits. The occurance
		1509	of C<SIGCHLD> is recorded asynchronously, but child reaping is done
		1510	synchronously as part of the event loop processing. Libev always reaps all
		1511	children, even ones not watched.
		1512
		1513	=head3 Overriding the Built-In Processing
		1514
		1515	Libev offers no special support for overriding the built-in child
		1516	processing, but if your application collides with libev's default child
		1517	handler, you can override it easily by installing your own handler for
		1518	C<SIGCHLD> after initialising the default loop, and making sure the
		1519	default loop never gets destroyed. You are encouraged, however, to use an
		1520	event-based approach to child reaping and thus use libev's support for
		1521	that, so other libev users can use C<ev_child> watchers freely.
1428		1522
1429	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions and Data Members	1523	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions and Data Members
1430		1524
1431	=over 4	1525	=over 4
1432		1526
1433	=item ev_child_init (ev_child *, callback, int pid)	1527	=item ev_child_init (ev_child *, callback, int pid, int trace)
1434		1528
1435	=item ev_child_set (ev_child *, int pid)	1529	=item ev_child_set (ev_child *, int pid, int trace)
1436		1530
1437	Configures the watcher to wait for status changes of process C<pid> (or	1531	Configures the watcher to wait for status changes of process C<pid> (or
1438	I<any> process if C<pid> is specified as C<0>). The callback can look	1532	I<any> process if C<pid> is specified as C<0>). The callback can look
1439	at the C<rstatus> member of the C<ev_child> watcher structure to see	1533	at the C<rstatus> member of the C<ev_child> watcher structure to see
1440	the status word (use the macros from C<sys/wait.h> and see your systems	1534	the status word (use the macros from C<sys/wait.h> and see your systems
1441	C<waitpid> documentation). The C<rpid> member contains the pid of the	1535	C<waitpid> documentation). The C<rpid> member contains the pid of the
1442	process causing the status change.	1536	process causing the status change. C<trace> must be either C<0> (only
		1537	activate the watcher when the process terminates) or C<1> (additionally
		1538	activate the watcher when the process is stopped or continued).
1443		1539
1444	=item int pid [read-only]	1540	=item int pid [read-only]
1445		1541
1446	The process id this watcher watches out for, or C<0>, meaning any process id.	1542	The process id this watcher watches out for, or C<0>, meaning any process id.
1447		1543
…		…
1456		1552
1457	=back	1553	=back
1458		1554
1459	=head3 Examples	1555	=head3 Examples
1460		1556
1461	Example: Try to exit cleanly on SIGINT and SIGTERM.	1557	Example: C<fork()> a new process and install a child handler to wait for
		1558	its completion.
		1559
		1560	ev_child cw;
1462		1561
1463	static void	1562	static void
1464	sigint_cb (struct ev_loop loop, struct ev_signal w, int revents)	1563	child_cb (EV_P_ struct ev_child *w, int revents)
1465	{	1564	{
1466	ev_unloop (loop, EVUNLOOP_ALL);	1565	ev_child_stop (EV_A_ w);
		1566	printf ("process %d exited with status %x\n", w->rpid, w->rstatus);
1467	}	1567	}
1468		1568
1469	struct ev_signal signal_watcher;	1569	pid_t pid = fork ();
1470	ev_signal_init (&signal_watcher, sigint_cb, SIGINT);	1570
1471	ev_signal_start (loop, &sigint_cb);	1571	if (pid < 0)
		1572	// error
		1573	else if (pid == 0)
		1574	{
		1575	// the forked child executes here
		1576	exit (1);
		1577	}
		1578	else
		1579	{
		1580	ev_child_init (&cw, child_cb, pid, 0);
		1581	ev_child_start (EV_DEFAULT_ &cw);
		1582	}
1472		1583
1473		1584
1474	=head2 C<ev_stat> - did the file attributes just change?	1585	=head2 C<ev_stat> - did the file attributes just change?
1475		1586
1476	This watches a filesystem path for attribute changes. That is, it calls	1587	This watches a filesystem path for attribute changes. That is, it calls
…		…
1505	semantics of C<ev_stat> watchers, which means that libev sometimes needs	1616	semantics of C<ev_stat> watchers, which means that libev sometimes needs
1506	to fall back to regular polling again even with inotify, but changes are	1617	to fall back to regular polling again even with inotify, but changes are
1507	usually detected immediately, and if the file exists there will be no	1618	usually detected immediately, and if the file exists there will be no
1508	polling.	1619	polling.
1509		1620
		1621	=head3 ABI Issues (Largefile Support)
		1622
		1623	Libev by default (unless the user overrides this) uses the default
		1624	compilation environment, which means that on systems with optionally
		1625	disabled large file support, you get the 32 bit version of the stat
		1626	structure. When using the library from programs that change the ABI to
		1627	use 64 bit file offsets the programs will fail. In that case you have to
		1628	compile libev with the same flags to get binary compatibility. This is
		1629	obviously the case with any flags that change the ABI, but the problem is
		1630	most noticably with ev_stat and largefile support.
		1631
1510	=head3 Inotify	1632	=head3 Inotify
1511		1633
1512	When C<inotify (7)> support has been compiled into libev (generally only	1634	When C<inotify (7)> support has been compiled into libev (generally only
1513	available on Linux) and present at runtime, it will be used to speed up	1635	available on Linux) and present at runtime, it will be used to speed up
1514	change detection where possible. The inotify descriptor will be created lazily	1636	change detection where possible. The inotify descriptor will be created lazily
…		…
1556		1678
1557	The callback will be receive C<EV_STAT> when a change was detected,	1679	The callback will be receive C<EV_STAT> when a change was detected,
1558	relative to the attributes at the time the watcher was started (or the	1680	relative to the attributes at the time the watcher was started (or the
1559	last change was detected).	1681	last change was detected).
1560		1682
1561	=item ev_stat_stat (ev_stat *)	1683	=item ev_stat_stat (loop, ev_stat *)
1562		1684
1563	Updates the stat buffer immediately with new values. If you change the	1685	Updates the stat buffer immediately with new values. If you change the
1564	watched path in your callback, you could call this fucntion to avoid	1686	watched path in your callback, you could call this fucntion to avoid
1565	detecting this change (while introducing a race condition). Can also be	1687	detecting this change (while introducing a race condition). Can also be
1566	useful simply to find out the new values.	1688	useful simply to find out the new values.
…		…
1683	static void	1805	static void
1684	idle_cb (struct ev_loop loop, struct ev_idle w, int revents)	1806	idle_cb (struct ev_loop loop, struct ev_idle w, int revents)
1685	{	1807	{
1686	free (w);	1808	free (w);
1687	// now do something you wanted to do when the program has	1809	// now do something you wanted to do when the program has
1688	// no longer asnything immediate to do.	1810	// no longer anything immediate to do.
1689	}	1811	}
1690		1812
1691	struct ev_idle *idle_watcher = malloc (sizeof (struct ev_idle));	1813	struct ev_idle *idle_watcher = malloc (sizeof (struct ev_idle));
1692	ev_idle_init (idle_watcher, idle_cb);	1814	ev_idle_init (idle_watcher, idle_cb);
1693	ev_idle_start (loop, idle_cb);	1815	ev_idle_start (loop, idle_cb);
…		…
2034	believe me.	2156	believe me.
2035		2157
2036	=back	2158	=back
2037		2159
2038		2160
		2161	=head2 C<ev_async> - how to wake up another event loop
		2162
		2163	In general, you cannot use an C<ev_loop> from multiple threads or other
		2164	asynchronous sources such as signal handlers (as opposed to multiple event
		2165	loops - those are of course safe to use in different threads).
		2166
		2167	Sometimes, however, you need to wake up another event loop you do not
		2168	control, for example because it belongs to another thread. This is what
		2169	C<ev_async> watchers do: as long as the C<ev_async> watcher is active, you
		2170	can signal it by calling C<ev_async_send>, which is thread- and signal
		2171	safe.
		2172
		2173	This functionality is very similar to C<ev_signal> watchers, as signals,
		2174	too, are asynchronous in nature, and signals, too, will be compressed
		2175	(i.e. the number of callback invocations may be less than the number of
		2176	C<ev_async_sent> calls).
		2177
		2178	Unlike C<ev_signal> watchers, C<ev_async> works with any event loop, not
		2179	just the default loop.
		2180
		2181	=head3 Queueing
		2182
		2183	C<ev_async> does not support queueing of data in any way. The reason
		2184	is that the author does not know of a simple (or any) algorithm for a
		2185	multiple-writer-single-reader queue that works in all cases and doesn't
		2186	need elaborate support such as pthreads.
		2187
		2188	That means that if you want to queue data, you have to provide your own
		2189	queue. But at least I can tell you would implement locking around your
		2190	queue:
		2191
		2192	=over 4
		2193
		2194	=item queueing from a signal handler context
		2195
		2196	To implement race-free queueing, you simply add to the queue in the signal
		2197	handler but you block the signal handler in the watcher callback. Here is an example that does that for
		2198	some fictitiuous SIGUSR1 handler:
		2199
		2200	static ev_async mysig;
		2201
		2202	static void
		2203	sigusr1_handler (void)
		2204	{
		2205	sometype data;
		2206
		2207	// no locking etc.
		2208	queue_put (data);
		2209	ev_async_send (EV_DEFAULT_ &mysig);
		2210	}
		2211
		2212	static void
		2213	mysig_cb (EV_P_ ev_async *w, int revents)
		2214	{
		2215	sometype data;
		2216	sigset_t block, prev;
		2217
		2218	sigemptyset (&block);
		2219	sigaddset (&block, SIGUSR1);
		2220	sigprocmask (SIG_BLOCK, &block, &prev);
		2221
		2222	while (queue_get (&data))
		2223	process (data);
		2224
		2225	if (sigismember (&prev, SIGUSR1)
		2226	sigprocmask (SIG_UNBLOCK, &block, 0);
		2227	}
		2228
		2229	(Note: pthreads in theory requires you to use C<pthread_setmask>
		2230	instead of C<sigprocmask> when you use threads, but libev doesn't do it
		2231	either...).
		2232
		2233	=item queueing from a thread context
		2234
		2235	The strategy for threads is different, as you cannot (easily) block
		2236	threads but you can easily preempt them, so to queue safely you need to
		2237	employ a traditional mutex lock, such as in this pthread example:
		2238
		2239	static ev_async mysig;
		2240	static pthread_mutex_t mymutex = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
		2241
		2242	static void
		2243	otherthread (void)
		2244	{
		2245	// only need to lock the actual queueing operation
		2246	pthread_mutex_lock (&mymutex);
		2247	queue_put (data);
		2248	pthread_mutex_unlock (&mymutex);
		2249
		2250	ev_async_send (EV_DEFAULT_ &mysig);
		2251	}
		2252
		2253	static void
		2254	mysig_cb (EV_P_ ev_async *w, int revents)
		2255	{
		2256	pthread_mutex_lock (&mymutex);
		2257
		2258	while (queue_get (&data))
		2259	process (data);
		2260
		2261	pthread_mutex_unlock (&mymutex);
		2262	}
		2263
		2264	=back
		2265
		2266
		2267	=head3 Watcher-Specific Functions and Data Members
		2268
		2269	=over 4
		2270
		2271	=item ev_async_init (ev_async *, callback)
		2272
		2273	Initialises and configures the async watcher - it has no parameters of any
		2274	kind. There is a C<ev_asynd_set> macro, but using it is utterly pointless,
		2275	believe me.
		2276
		2277	=item ev_async_send (loop, ev_async *)
		2278
		2279	Sends/signals/activates the given C<ev_async> watcher, that is, feeds
		2280	an C<EV_ASYNC> event on the watcher into the event loop. Unlike
		2281	C<ev_feed_event>, this call is safe to do in other threads, signal or
		2282	similar contexts (see the dicusssion of C<EV_ATOMIC_T> in the embedding
		2283	section below on what exactly this means).
		2284
		2285	This call incurs the overhead of a syscall only once per loop iteration,
		2286	so while the overhead might be noticable, it doesn't apply to repeated
		2287	calls to C<ev_async_send>.
		2288
		2289	=item bool = ev_async_pending (ev_async *)
		2290
		2291	Returns a non-zero value when C<ev_async_send> has been called on the
		2292	watcher but the event has not yet been processed (or even noted) by the
		2293	event loop.
		2294
		2295	C<ev_async_send> sets a flag in the watcher and wakes up the loop. When
		2296	the loop iterates next and checks for the watcher to have become active,
		2297	it will reset the flag again. C<ev_async_pending> can be used to very
		2298	quickly check wether invoking the loop might be a good idea.
		2299
		2300	Not that this does I<not> check wether the watcher itself is pending, only
		2301	wether it has been requested to make this watcher pending.
		2302
		2303	=back
		2304
		2305
2039	=head1 OTHER FUNCTIONS	2306	=head1 OTHER FUNCTIONS
2040		2307
2041	There are some other functions of possible interest. Described. Here. Now.	2308	There are some other functions of possible interest. Described. Here. Now.
2042		2309
2043	=over 4	2310	=over 4
…		…
2270	Example: Define a class with an IO and idle watcher, start one of them in	2537	Example: Define a class with an IO and idle watcher, start one of them in
2271	the constructor.	2538	the constructor.
2272		2539
2273	class myclass	2540	class myclass
2274	{	2541	{
2275	ev_io io; void io_cb (ev::io &w, int revents);	2542	ev::io io; void io_cb (ev::io &w, int revents);
2276	ev_idle idle void idle_cb (ev::idle &w, int revents);	2543	ev:idle idle void idle_cb (ev::idle &w, int revents);
2277		2544
2278	myclass ();	2545	myclass (int fd)
2279	}
2280
2281	myclass::myclass (int fd)
2282	{	2546	{
2283	io .set <myclass, &myclass::io_cb > (this);	2547	io .set <myclass, &myclass::io_cb > (this);
2284	idle.set <myclass, &myclass::idle_cb> (this);	2548	idle.set <myclass, &myclass::idle_cb> (this);
2285		2549
2286	io.start (fd, ev::READ);	2550	io.start (fd, ev::READ);
		2551	}
2287	}	2552	};
		2553
		2554
		2555	=head1 OTHER LANGUAGE BINDINGS
		2556
		2557	Libev does not offer other language bindings itself, but bindings for a
		2558	numbe rof languages exist in the form of third-party packages. If you know
		2559	any interesting language binding in addition to the ones listed here, drop
		2560	me a note.
		2561
		2562	=over 4
		2563
		2564	=item Perl
		2565
		2566	The EV module implements the full libev API and is actually used to test
		2567	libev. EV is developed together with libev. Apart from the EV core module,
		2568	there are additional modules that implement libev-compatible interfaces
		2569	to C<libadns> (C<EV::ADNS>), C<Net::SNMP> (C<Net::SNMP::EV>) and the
		2570	C<libglib> event core (C<Glib::EV> and C<EV::Glib>).
		2571
		2572	It can be found and installed via CPAN, its homepage is found at
		2573	L<http://software.schmorp.de/pkg/EV>.
		2574
		2575	=item Ruby
		2576
		2577	Tony Arcieri has written a ruby extension that offers access to a subset
		2578	of the libev API and adds filehandle abstractions, asynchronous DNS and
		2579	more on top of it. It can be found via gem servers. Its homepage is at
		2580	L<http://rev.rubyforge.org/>.
		2581
		2582	=item D
		2583
		2584	Leandro Lucarella has written a D language binding (F<ev.d>) for libev, to
		2585	be found at L<http://git.llucax.com.ar/?p=software/ev.d.git;a=summary>.
		2586
		2587	=back
2288		2588
2289		2589
2290	=head1 MACRO MAGIC	2590	=head1 MACRO MAGIC
2291		2591
2292	Libev can be compiled with a variety of options, the most fundamantal	2592	Libev can be compiled with a variety of options, the most fundamantal
…		…
2328		2628
2329	=item C<EV_DEFAULT>, C<EV_DEFAULT_>	2629	=item C<EV_DEFAULT>, C<EV_DEFAULT_>
2330		2630
2331	Similar to the other two macros, this gives you the value of the default	2631	Similar to the other two macros, this gives you the value of the default
2332	loop, if multiple loops are supported ("ev loop default").	2632	loop, if multiple loops are supported ("ev loop default").
		2633
		2634	=item C<EV_DEFAULT_UC>, C<EV_DEFAULT_UC_>
		2635
		2636	Usage identical to C<EV_DEFAULT> and C<EV_DEFAULT_>, but requires that the
		2637	default loop has been initialised (C<UC> == unchecked). Their behaviour
		2638	is undefined when the default loop has not been initialised by a previous
		2639	execution of C<EV_DEFAULT>, C<EV_DEFAULT_> or C<ev_default_init (...)>.
		2640
		2641	It is often prudent to use C<EV_DEFAULT> when initialising the first
		2642	watcher in a function but use C<EV_DEFAULT_UC> afterwards.
2333		2643
2334	=back	2644	=back
2335		2645
2336	Example: Declare and initialise a check watcher, utilising the above	2646	Example: Declare and initialise a check watcher, utilising the above
2337	macros so it will work regardless of whether multiple loops are supported	2647	macros so it will work regardless of whether multiple loops are supported
…		…
2433		2743
2434	libev.m4	2744	libev.m4
2435		2745
2436	=head2 PREPROCESSOR SYMBOLS/MACROS	2746	=head2 PREPROCESSOR SYMBOLS/MACROS
2437		2747
2438	Libev can be configured via a variety of preprocessor symbols you have to define	2748	Libev can be configured via a variety of preprocessor symbols you have to
2439	before including any of its files. The default is not to build for multiplicity	2749	define before including any of its files. The default in the absense of
2440	and only include the select backend.	2750	autoconf is noted for every option.
2441		2751
2442	=over 4	2752	=over 4
2443		2753
2444	=item EV_STANDALONE	2754	=item EV_STANDALONE
2445		2755
…		…
2471	=item EV_USE_NANOSLEEP	2781	=item EV_USE_NANOSLEEP
2472		2782
2473	If defined to be C<1>, libev will assume that C<nanosleep ()> is available	2783	If defined to be C<1>, libev will assume that C<nanosleep ()> is available
2474	and will use it for delays. Otherwise it will use C<select ()>.	2784	and will use it for delays. Otherwise it will use C<select ()>.
2475		2785
		2786	=item EV_USE_EVENTFD
		2787
		2788	If defined to be C<1>, then libev will assume that C<eventfd ()> is
		2789	available and will probe for kernel support at runtime. This will improve
		2790	C<ev_signal> and C<ev_async> performance and reduce resource consumption.
		2791	If undefined, it will be enabled if the headers indicate GNU/Linux + Glibc
		2792	2.7 or newer, otherwise disabled.
		2793
2476	=item EV_USE_SELECT	2794	=item EV_USE_SELECT
2477		2795
2478	If undefined or defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the	2796	If undefined or defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the
2479	C<select>(2) backend. No attempt at autodetection will be done: if no	2797	C<select>(2) backend. No attempt at autodetection will be done: if no
2480	other method takes over, select will be it. Otherwise the select backend	2798	other method takes over, select will be it. Otherwise the select backend
…		…
2516		2834
2517	=item EV_USE_EPOLL	2835	=item EV_USE_EPOLL
2518		2836
2519	If defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the Linux	2837	If defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the Linux
2520	C<epoll>(7) backend. Its availability will be detected at runtime,	2838	C<epoll>(7) backend. Its availability will be detected at runtime,
2521	otherwise another method will be used as fallback. This is the	2839	otherwise another method will be used as fallback. This is the preferred
2522	preferred backend for GNU/Linux systems.	2840	backend for GNU/Linux systems. If undefined, it will be enabled if the
		2841	headers indicate GNU/Linux + Glibc 2.4 or newer, otherwise disabled.
2523		2842
2524	=item EV_USE_KQUEUE	2843	=item EV_USE_KQUEUE
2525		2844
2526	If defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the BSD style	2845	If defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the BSD style
2527	C<kqueue>(2) backend. Its actual availability will be detected at runtime,	2846	C<kqueue>(2) backend. Its actual availability will be detected at runtime,
…		…
2546		2865
2547	=item EV_USE_INOTIFY	2866	=item EV_USE_INOTIFY
2548		2867
2549	If defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the Linux inotify	2868	If defined to be C<1>, libev will compile in support for the Linux inotify
2550	interface to speed up C<ev_stat> watchers. Its actual availability will	2869	interface to speed up C<ev_stat> watchers. Its actual availability will
2551	be detected at runtime.	2870	be detected at runtime. If undefined, it will be enabled if the headers
		2871	indicate GNU/Linux + Glibc 2.4 or newer, otherwise disabled.
		2872
		2873	=item EV_ATOMIC_T
		2874
		2875	Libev requires an integer type (suitable for storing C<0> or C<1>) whose
		2876	access is atomic with respect to other threads or signal contexts. No such
		2877	type is easily found in the C language, so you can provide your own type
		2878	that you know is safe for your purposes. It is used both for signal handler "locking"
		2879	as well as for signal and thread safety in C<ev_async> watchers.
		2880
		2881	In the absense of this define, libev will use C<sig_atomic_t volatile>
		2882	(from F<signal.h>), which is usually good enough on most platforms.
2552		2883
2553	=item EV_H	2884	=item EV_H
2554		2885
2555	The name of the F<ev.h> header file used to include it. The default if	2886	The name of the F<ev.h> header file used to include it. The default if
2556	undefined is C<"ev.h"> in F<event.h> and F<ev.c>. This can be used to	2887	undefined is C<"ev.h"> in F<event.h>, F<ev.c> and F<ev++.h>. This can be
2557	virtually rename the F<ev.h> header file in case of conflicts.	2888	used to virtually rename the F<ev.h> header file in case of conflicts.
2558		2889
2559	=item EV_CONFIG_H	2890	=item EV_CONFIG_H
2560		2891
2561	If C<EV_STANDALONE> isn't C<1>, this variable can be used to override	2892	If C<EV_STANDALONE> isn't C<1>, this variable can be used to override
2562	F<ev.c>'s idea of where to find the F<config.h> file, similarly to	2893	F<ev.c>'s idea of where to find the F<config.h> file, similarly to
2563	C<EV_H>, above.	2894	C<EV_H>, above.
2564		2895
2565	=item EV_EVENT_H	2896	=item EV_EVENT_H
2566		2897
2567	Similarly to C<EV_H>, this macro can be used to override F<event.c>'s idea	2898	Similarly to C<EV_H>, this macro can be used to override F<event.c>'s idea
2568	of how the F<event.h> header can be found, the dfeault is C<"event.h">.	2899	of how the F<event.h> header can be found, the default is C<"event.h">.
2569		2900
2570	=item EV_PROTOTYPES	2901	=item EV_PROTOTYPES
2571		2902
2572	If defined to be C<0>, then F<ev.h> will not define any function	2903	If defined to be C<0>, then F<ev.h> will not define any function
2573	prototypes, but still define all the structs and other symbols. This is	2904	prototypes, but still define all the structs and other symbols. This is
…		…
2622	defined to be C<0>, then they are not.	2953	defined to be C<0>, then they are not.
2623		2954
2624	=item EV_FORK_ENABLE	2955	=item EV_FORK_ENABLE
2625		2956
2626	If undefined or defined to be C<1>, then fork watchers are supported. If	2957	If undefined or defined to be C<1>, then fork watchers are supported. If
		2958	defined to be C<0>, then they are not.
		2959
		2960	=item EV_ASYNC_ENABLE
		2961
		2962	If undefined or defined to be C<1>, then async watchers are supported. If
2627	defined to be C<0>, then they are not.	2963	defined to be C<0>, then they are not.
2628		2964
2629	=item EV_MINIMAL	2965	=item EV_MINIMAL
2630		2966
2631	If you need to shave off some kilobytes of code at the expense of some	2967	If you need to shave off some kilobytes of code at the expense of some
…		…
2727		3063
2728	#include "ev_cpp.h"	3064	#include "ev_cpp.h"
2729	#include "ev.c"	3065	#include "ev.c"
2730		3066
2731		3067
		3068	=head1 THREADS AND COROUTINES
		3069
		3070	=head2 THREADS
		3071
		3072	Libev itself is completely threadsafe, but it uses no locking. This
		3073	means that you can use as many loops as you want in parallel, as long as
		3074	only one thread ever calls into one libev function with the same loop
		3075	parameter.
		3076
		3077	Or put differently: calls with different loop parameters can be done in
		3078	parallel from multiple threads, calls with the same loop parameter must be
		3079	done serially (but can be done from different threads, as long as only one
		3080	thread ever is inside a call at any point in time, e.g. by using a mutex
		3081	per loop).
		3082
		3083	If you want to know which design is best for your problem, then I cannot
		3084	help you but by giving some generic advice:
		3085
		3086	=over 4
		3087
		3088	=item * most applications have a main thread: use the default libev loop
		3089	in that thread, or create a seperate thread running only the default loop.
		3090
		3091	This helps integrating other libraries or software modules that use libev
		3092	themselves and don't care/know about threading.
		3093
		3094	=item * one loop per thread is usually a good model.
		3095
		3096	Doing this is almost never wrong, sometimes a better-performance model
		3097	exists, but it is always a good start.
		3098
		3099	=item * other models exist, such as the leader/follower pattern, where one
		3100	loop is handed through multiple threads in a kind of round-robbin fashion.
		3101
		3102	Chosing a model is hard - look around, learn, know that usually you cna do
		3103	better than you currently do :-)
		3104
		3105	=item * often you need to talk to some other thread which blocks in the
		3106	event loop - C<ev_async> watchers can be used to wake them up from other
		3107	threads safely (or from signal contexts...).
		3108
		3109	=back
		3110
		3111	=head2 COROUTINES
		3112
		3113	Libev is much more accomodating to coroutines ("cooperative threads"):
		3114	libev fully supports nesting calls to it's functions from different
		3115	coroutines (e.g. you can call C<ev_loop> on the same loop from two
		3116	different coroutines and switch freely between both coroutines running the
		3117	loop, as long as you don't confuse yourself). The only exception is that
		3118	you must not do this from C<ev_periodic> reschedule callbacks.
		3119
		3120	Care has been invested into making sure that libev does not keep local
		3121	state inside C<ev_loop>, and other calls do not usually allow coroutine
		3122	switches.
		3123
		3124
2732	=head1 COMPLEXITIES	3125	=head1 COMPLEXITIES
2733		3126
2734	In this section the complexities of (many of) the algorithms used inside	3127	In this section the complexities of (many of) the algorithms used inside
2735	libev will be explained. For complexity discussions about backends see the	3128	libev will be explained. For complexity discussions about backends see the
2736	documentation for C<ev_default_init>.	3129	documentation for C<ev_default_init>.
…		…
2752	=item Changing timer/periodic watchers (by autorepeat or calling again): O(log skipped_other_timers)	3145	=item Changing timer/periodic watchers (by autorepeat or calling again): O(log skipped_other_timers)
2753		3146
2754	That means that changing a timer costs less than removing/adding them	3147	That means that changing a timer costs less than removing/adding them
2755	as only the relative motion in the event queue has to be paid for.	3148	as only the relative motion in the event queue has to be paid for.
2756		3149
2757	=item Starting io/check/prepare/idle/signal/child watchers: O(1)	3150	=item Starting io/check/prepare/idle/signal/child/fork/async watchers: O(1)
2758		3151
2759	These just add the watcher into an array or at the head of a list.	3152	These just add the watcher into an array or at the head of a list.
2760		3153
2761	=item Stopping check/prepare/idle watchers: O(1)	3154	=item Stopping check/prepare/idle/fork/async watchers: O(1)
2762		3155
2763	=item Stopping an io/signal/child watcher: O(number_of_watchers_for_this_(fd/signal/pid % EV_PID_HASHSIZE))	3156	=item Stopping an io/signal/child watcher: O(number_of_watchers_for_this_(fd/signal/pid % EV_PID_HASHSIZE))
2764		3157
2765	These watchers are stored in lists then need to be walked to find the	3158	These watchers are stored in lists then need to be walked to find the
2766	correct watcher to remove. The lists are usually short (you don't usually	3159	correct watcher to remove. The lists are usually short (you don't usually
…		…
2782	=item Priority handling: O(number_of_priorities)	3175	=item Priority handling: O(number_of_priorities)
2783		3176
2784	Priorities are implemented by allocating some space for each	3177	Priorities are implemented by allocating some space for each
2785	priority. When doing priority-based operations, libev usually has to	3178	priority. When doing priority-based operations, libev usually has to
2786	linearly search all the priorities, but starting/stopping and activating	3179	linearly search all the priorities, but starting/stopping and activating
2787	watchers becomes O(1) w.r.t. prioritiy handling.	3180	watchers becomes O(1) w.r.t. priority handling.
		3181
		3182	=item Sending an ev_async: O(1)
		3183
		3184	=item Processing ev_async_send: O(number_of_async_watchers)
		3185
		3186	=item Processing signals: O(max_signal_number)
		3187
		3188	Sending involves a syscall I<iff> there were no other C<ev_async_send>
		3189	calls in the current loop iteration. Checking for async and signal events
		3190	involves iterating over all running async watchers or all signal numbers.
2788		3191
2789	=back	3192	=back
2790		3193
2791		3194
2792	=head1 Win32 platform limitations and workarounds	3195	=head1 Win32 platform limitations and workarounds

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Comparing libev/ev.pod (file contents): Revision 1.115 by root, Mon Dec 31 01:32:59 2007 UTC vs. Revision 1.145 by root, Wed Apr 9 22:07:50 2008 UTC

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Comparing libev/ev.pod (file contents):
Revision 1.115 by root, Mon Dec 31 01:32:59 2007 UTC vs.
Revision 1.145 by root, Wed Apr 9 22:07:50 2008 UTC