PTHREAD_GETSPECIFIC

Section: POSIX Programmer's Manual (3P)
Updated: 2003
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PROLOG

This manual page is part of the POSIX Programmer's Manual. The Linux implementation of this interface may differ (consult the corresponding Linux manual page for details of Linux behavior), or the interface may not be implemented on Linux.  

NAME

pthread_getspecific, pthread_setspecific - thread-specific data management  

SYNOPSIS

#include <pthread.h>

void *pthread_getspecific(pthread_key_t key);
int pthread_setspecific(pthread_key_t key, const void *value);
 

DESCRIPTION

The pthread_getspecific() function shall return the value currently bound to the specified key on behalf of the calling thread.

The pthread_setspecific() function shall associate a thread-specific value with a key obtained via a previous call to pthread_key_create(). Different threads may bind different values to the same key. These values are typically pointers to blocks of dynamically allocated memory that have been reserved for use by the calling thread.

The effect of calling pthread_getspecific() or pthread_setspecific() with a key value not obtained from pthread_key_create() or after key has been deleted with pthread_key_delete() is undefined.

Both pthread_getspecific() and pthread_setspecific() may be called from a thread-specific data destructor function. A call to pthread_getspecific() for the thread-specific data key being destroyed shall return the value NULL, unless the value is changed (after the destructor starts) by a call to pthread_setspecific(). Calling pthread_setspecific() from a thread-specific data destructor routine may result either in lost storage (after at least PTHREAD_DESTRUCTOR_ITERATIONS attempts at destruction) or in an infinite loop.

Both functions may be implemented as macros.  

RETURN VALUE

The pthread_getspecific() function shall return the thread-specific data value associated with the given key. If no thread-specific data value is associated with key, then the value NULL shall be returned.

If successful, the pthread_setspecific() function shall return zero; otherwise, an error number shall be returned to indicate the error.  

ERRORS

No errors are returned from pthread_getspecific().

The pthread_setspecific() function shall fail if:

ENOMEM
Insufficient memory exists to associate the value with the key.

The pthread_setspecific() function may fail if:

EINVAL
The key value is invalid.

These functions shall not return an error code of [EINTR].

The following sections are informative.  

EXAMPLES

None.  

APPLICATION USAGE

None.  

RATIONALE

Performance and ease-of-use of pthread_getspecific() are critical for functions that rely on maintaining state in thread-specific data. Since no errors are required to be detected by it, and since the only error that could be detected is the use of an invalid key, the function to pthread_getspecific() has been designed to favor speed and simplicity over error reporting.  

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

None.  

SEE ALSO

pthread_key_create(), the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, <pthread.h>  

COPYRIGHT

Portions of this text are reprinted and reproduced in electronic form from IEEE Std 1003.1, 2003 Edition, Standard for Information Technology -- Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX), The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 6, Copyright (C) 2001-2003 by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc and The Open Group. In the event of any discrepancy between this version and the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard, the original IEEE and The Open Group Standard is the referee document. The original Standard can be obtained online at http://www.opengroup.org/unix/online.html .