pthread function from a class

Question

Let\'s say I have a class such as

class c { 
    // ...
    void *print(void *){ cout << \"Hello\"; }
}

And then I have a vector of c

Answer 1

Too many times I've found ways to solve what you are asking for that, in my opinion are too complicated. For instance you have to define new class types, link library etc. So I decided to write a few lines of code that allow the end user to basically be able to "thread-ize" a "void ::method(void)" of whatever class. For sure this solution I implemented can be extended, improved etc, so, if you need more specific methods or features, add them and please be so kind to keep me in the loop.

Here are 3 files that show what I did.

    // A basic mutex class, I called this file Mutex.h
#ifndef MUTEXCONDITION_H_
#define MUTEXCONDITION_H_

#include 
#include 

class MutexCondition
{
private:
    bool init() {
        //printf("MutexCondition::init called\n");
        pthread_mutex_init(&m_mut, NULL);
        pthread_cond_init(&m_con, NULL);
        return true;
    }

    bool destroy() {
        pthread_mutex_destroy(&m_mut);
        pthread_cond_destroy(&m_con);
        return true;
    }

public:
    pthread_mutex_t m_mut;
    pthread_cond_t m_con;

    MutexCondition() {
        init();
    }
    virtual ~MutexCondition() {
        destroy();
    }

    bool lock() {
        pthread_mutex_lock(&m_mut);
        return true;
    }

    bool unlock() {
        pthread_mutex_unlock(&m_mut);
        return true;
    }

    bool wait() {
        lock();
        pthread_cond_wait(&m_con, &m_mut);
        unlock();
        return true;
    }

    bool signal() {
        pthread_cond_signal(&m_con);
        return true;
    }
};
#endif
// End of Mutex.h

// The class that incapsulates all the work to thread-ize a method (test.h):

#ifndef __THREAD_HANDLER___
#define __THREAD_HANDLER___

#include 
#include 
#include 
#include "Mutex.h"

using namespace std;

template  
class CThreadInfo
{
  public:
    typedef void (T::*MHT_PTR) (void);
    vector _threaded_methods;
    vector _status_flags;
    T *_data;
    MutexCondition _mutex;
    int _idx;
    bool _status;

    CThreadInfo(T* p1):_data(p1), _idx(0) {}
    void setThreadedMethods(vector & pThreadedMethods)
    {
        _threaded_methods = pThreadedMethods;
      _status_flags.resize(_threaded_methods.size(), false);
    }
};

template  
class CSThread {
  protected:
    typedef void (T::*MHT_PTR) (void);
    vector _threaded_methods;
    vector _thread_labels;
    MHT_PTR _stop_f_pt;
    vector _elements;
    vector _performDelete;
    vector*> _threadlds;
    vector _threads;
    int _totalRunningThreads;

    static void * gencker_(void * pArg)
    {
      CThreadInfo* vArg = (CThreadInfo *) pArg;
      vArg->_mutex.lock();
      int vIndex = vArg->_idx++;
      vArg->_mutex.unlock();

      vArg->_status_flags[vIndex]=true;

      MHT_PTR mhtCalledOne = vArg->_threaded_methods[vIndex];
      (vArg->_data->*mhtCalledOne)();
      vArg->_status_flags[vIndex]=false;
        return NULL;
    }

  public:
    CSThread ():_stop_f_pt(NULL), _totalRunningThreads(0)  {}
    ~CSThread()
    {
      for (int i=_threads.size() -1; i >= 0; --i)
          pthread_detach(*_threads[i]);

      for (int i=_threadlds.size() -1; i >= 0; --i)
        delete _threadlds[i];

      for (int i=_elements.size() -1; i >= 0; --i)
         if (find (_performDelete.begin(), _performDelete.end(), _elements[i]) != _performDelete.end())
              delete _elements[i];
    }
    int  runningThreadsCount(void) {return _totalRunningThreads;}
    int  elementsCount()        {return _elements.size();}
    void addThread (MHT_PTR p, string pLabel="") { _threaded_methods.push_back(p); _thread_labels.push_back(pLabel);}
    void clearThreadedMethods() { _threaded_methods.clear(); }
    void getThreadedMethodsCount() { return _threaded_methods.size(); }
    void addStopMethod(MHT_PTR p)  { _stop_f_pt  = p; }
    string getStatusStr(unsigned int _elementIndex, unsigned int pMethodIndex)
    {
      char ch[99];

      if (getStatus(_elementIndex, pMethodIndex) == true)
        sprintf (ch, "[%s] - TRUE\n", _thread_labels[pMethodIndex].c_str());
      else 
        sprintf (ch, "[%s] - FALSE\n", _thread_labels[pMethodIndex].c_str());

      return ch;
    }
    bool getStatus(unsigned int _elementIndex, unsigned int pMethodIndex)
    {
      if (_elementIndex > _elements.size()) return false;
      return _threadlds[_elementIndex]->_status_flags[pMethodIndex];
    }

    bool run(unsigned int pIdx) 
    {
      T * myElem = _elements[pIdx];
      _threadlds.push_back(new CThreadInfo(myElem));
      _threadlds[_threadlds.size()-1]->setThreadedMethods(_threaded_methods);

      int vStart = _threads.size();
      for (int hhh=0; hhh<_threaded_methods.size(); ++hhh)
          _threads.push_back(new pthread_t);

      for (int currentCount =0; currentCount < _threaded_methods.size(); ++vStart, ++currentCount)
      {
                if (pthread_create(_threads[vStart], NULL, gencker_, (void*) _threadlds[_threadlds.size()-1]) != 0)
        {
                // cout <<"\t\tThread " << currentCount << " creation FAILED for element: " << pIdx << endl;
                    return false;
                }
        else
        {
            ++_totalRunningThreads;
             // cout <<"\t\tThread " << currentCount << " creation SUCCEDED for element: " << pIdx << endl;
                }
      }
      return true;
    }

    bool run() 
    {
            for (int vI = 0; vI < _elements.size(); ++vI) 
            if (run(vI) == false) return false;
          // cout <<"Number of currently running threads: " << _totalRunningThreads << endl;
        return true;
    }

    T * addElement(void)
    {
      int vId=-1;
      return addElement(vId);
    }

    T * addElement(int & pIdx)
    {
      T * myElem = new T();
      _elements.push_back(myElem);
      pIdx = _elements.size()-1;
      _performDelete.push_back(myElem);
      return _elements[pIdx];
    }

    T * addElement(T *pElem)
    {
      int vId=-1;
      return addElement(pElem, vId);
    }

    T * addElement(T *pElem, int & pIdx)
    {
      _elements.push_back(pElem);
      pIdx = _elements.size()-1;
      return pElem;
    }

    T * getElement(int pId) { return _elements[pId]; }

    void stopThread(int i)  
    {
      if (_stop_f_pt != NULL) 
      {
         ( _elements[i]->*_stop_f_pt)() ;
      }
      pthread_detach(*_threads[i]);
      --_totalRunningThreads;
    }

    void stopAll()  
    {
      if (_stop_f_pt != NULL) 
        for (int i=0; i<_elements.size(); ++i) 
        {
          ( _elements[i]->*_stop_f_pt)() ;
        }
      _totalRunningThreads=0;
    }
};
#endif
// end of test.h

// A usage example file "test.cc" that on linux I've compiled with The class that incapsulates all the work to thread-ize a method: g++ -o mytest.exe test.cc -I. -lpthread -lstdc++

#include 
#include 
#include 
#include 

using namespace std;

// Just a class for which I need to "thread-ize" a some methods
// Given that with OOP the objecs include both "functions" (methods)
// and data (attributes), then there is no need to use function arguments,
// just a "void xxx (void)" method.
// 
class TPuck
{
  public:
   bool _go;
   TPuck(int pVal):_go(true)
   {
     Value = pVal;
   }
   TPuck():_go(true)
   {
   }
   int Value;
   int vc;

   void setValue(int p){Value = p; }

   void super()
   {
     while (_go)
     {
      cout <<"super " << vc << endl;
            sleep(2);
         }
      cout <<"end of super " << vc << endl;
   }

   void vusss()
   {
     while (_go)
     {
      cout <<"vusss " << vc << endl;
      sleep(2);
     }
      cout <<"end of vusss " << vc << endl;
   }

   void fazz()
   {
     static int vcount =0;
     vc = vcount++;
     cout <<"Puck create instance: " << vc << endl;
     while (_go)
     {
       cout <<"fazz " << vc << endl;
       sleep(2);
     }
     cout <<"Completed TPuck..fazz instance "<<  vc << endl;
   }

   void stop()
   {
      _go=false;
      cout << endl << "Stopping TPuck...." << vc << endl;
   }
};


int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
  // just a number of instances of the class I need to make threads
  int vN = 3;

  // This object will be your threads maker.
  // Just declare an instance for each class
  // you need to create method threads
  //
  CSThread PuckThreadMaker;
  //
  // Hera I'm telling which methods should be threaded
  PuckThreadMaker.addThread(&TPuck::fazz, "fazz1");
  PuckThreadMaker.addThread(&TPuck::fazz, "fazz2");
  PuckThreadMaker.addThread(&TPuck::fazz, "fazz3");
  PuckThreadMaker.addThread(&TPuck::vusss, "vusss");
  PuckThreadMaker.addThread(&TPuck::super, "super");

  PuckThreadMaker.addStopMethod(&TPuck::stop);

  for (int ii=0; ii