xref: /dflybsd-src/lib/libc/gen/makecontext_quick.3 (revision 4a5f69f602439e4ddaa5c06d3f350823dac88dd0)

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.Dd December 21, 2015
.Dt MAKECONTEXT_QUICK 3
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm makecontext_quick , swapcontext_quick , setcontext_quick
.Nd quickly modify and exchange user thread contexts
.Sh LIBRARY
.Lb libc
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.In ucontext.h
.Ft void
.Fn makecontext_quick "ucontext_t *ucp"
.Ft void
.Fn swapcontext_quick "ucontext_t *oucp" "ucontext_t *nucp"
.Ft void
.Fn setcontext_quick "ucontext_t *ucp"
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The quick context functions work similarly to the non-quick context functions
but are designed for proper coroutine operation and synchronous switching.
The signal mask is not adjusted in any manner by these routines, no system
calls are made, and scratch registers are not required to be retained across
calls.
.Pp
Since no system calls need to be made and the FP state (being scratch across
a procedure call) does not need to be saved or restored, these switching
functions are at least 10 times faster than the non-quick versions.
In addition, callers can setup quick contexts for cofunction chaining
(when one cofunction return-chains to another), and for circular cofunction
chaining loops, avoiding the need to save any register state at all in
those configurations.
.Pp
The
.Fn makecontext_quick
function
initializes all fields of the passed-in context except
.Li "ucp->uc_stack" ,
.Li "ucp->uc_cofunc" ,
and
.Li "ucp->uc_arg" .
All other structural fields will be zerod.
Note that
.Li "ucp->uc_link"
will also be zerod for safety.
.Pp
The caller must pre-initialize the uc_stack fields.
.Li "ucp->uc_cofunc" ,
and
.Li "ucp->uc_arg"
should be initialized prior to making any context switches.
This function will set the context up to call the cofunction as
.Li "ucp->uc_cofunc(ucp, ucp->uc_arg)" .
Note that this calling format is different from the non-quick context calls.
.Pp
If the cofunction returns the wrapper will automatically reinitialize
the context to reissue a cofunction call and then call the next
cofunction via
.Li "ucp->uc_link" .
If the link field is NULL, the wrapper issues an
.Li "exit(0)" .
If the linkages return to the ucontext, the cofunction call is reissued.
The
.Li "ucp->uc_cofunc" ,
and
.Li "ucp->uc_arg"
fields may be adjusted at any time to change the cofunction being called.
Using the auto-linkage feature avoids saving register state on cofunction
return and is the absolute quickest context switch possible, almost as
fast as a normal procedure call would be.
.Pp
The
.Fn setcontext_quick
function throws away the current context and switches to the target
context.
Again, the signal mask is not touched and scratch registers are not saved.
If you desire to switch to a signal stack ucontext you must use the
normal
.Fn setcontext
function and not this one.
This function is designed for synchronous switching only.
.Pp
The
.Fn swapcontext_quick
function saves the current register state and switches to the target
context.
This function returns when the old context is resumed.
Again, the signal mask is not touched and scratch registers are not saved.
If you desire to switch to a signal stack ucontext you must use the
normal
.Fn swapcontext
function and not this one.
It is acceptable to mix normal context functions with quick functions
as long as you understand the ramifications.
.Pp
There is no quick version for
.Fn getcontext
on purpose.
.Sh RETURN VALUES
These functions have no return value.
.Sh EXAMPLES
.Bd -literal
/*
 * quick context test program
 */
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/file.h>
#include <ucontext.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <assert.h>

#define LOOPS	100000000L

static void test1(ucontext_t *ucp, void *arg);
static void test2(ucontext_t *ucp, void *arg);
static void test3(ucontext_t *ucp, void *arg);

int
main(int ac, char **av)
{
	ucontext_t ucp1;
	ucontext_t ucp2;
	ucontext_t ucp3;

	ucp1.uc_stack.ss_sp = malloc(32768);
	ucp1.uc_stack.ss_size = 32768;
	ucp1.uc_cofunc = test1;
	ucp1.uc_arg = (void *)(intptr_t)1;
	makecontext_quick(&ucp1);

	ucp2.uc_stack.ss_sp = malloc(32768);
	ucp2.uc_stack.ss_size = 32768;
	ucp2.uc_cofunc = test2;
	ucp2.uc_arg = (void *)(intptr_t)2;
	makecontext_quick(&ucp2);

	ucp3.uc_stack.ss_sp = malloc(32768);
	ucp3.uc_stack.ss_size = 32768;
	ucp3.uc_cofunc = test3;
	ucp3.uc_arg = (void *)(intptr_t)3;
	makecontext_quick(&ucp3);

	ucp1.uc_link = &ucp2;
	ucp2.uc_link = &ucp3;
	ucp3.uc_link = &ucp1;
	setcontext_quick(&ucp1);
}

long global_counter;

static void
test1(ucontext_t *ucp, void *arg)
{
	if ((intptr_t)ucp->uc_arg == 1) {
		printf("test1 entered for first time\en");
		ucp->uc_arg = (void *)(intptr_t)0;
	}
}

static void
test2(ucontext_t *ucp, void *arg)
{
	if ((intptr_t)ucp->uc_arg == 2) {
		printf("test2 entered for first time\en");
		ucp->uc_arg = (void *)(intptr_t)0;
	}
	++global_counter;
	if (global_counter > LOOPS)
		ucp->uc_link = NULL;	/* demonstrate documented exit(0) */
}

static void
test3(ucontext_t *ucp, void *arg)
{
	/* entered only once */
	assert((intptr_t)ucp->uc_arg == 3);
	printf("test3 entered for first time\en");
	printf("cycle through test1, test2, test3 %d times\en", LOOPS);
	ucp->uc_arg = (void *)(intptr_t)0;

	for (;;) {
		swapcontext_quick(ucp, ucp->uc_link);
	}
}
.Ed
.Sh ERRORS
.Bl -tag -width Er
.It Bq Er ENOMEM
There is not enough stack space in
.Fa ucp
to complete the operation.
.El
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr getcontext 3 ,
.Xr makecontext 3 ,
.Xr setcontext 3 ,
.Xr swapcontext 3 ,
.Xr ucontext 3