NAME

       Thread::Semaphore - Thread-safe semaphores

VERSION

       This document describes Thread::Semaphore version 2.13

SYNOPSIS

           use Thread::Semaphore;
           my $s = Thread::Semaphore->new();
           $s->down();   # Also known as the semaphore P operation.
           # The guarded section is here
           $s->up();     # Also known as the semaphore V operation.

           # Decrement the semaphore only if it would immediately succeed.
           if ($s->down_nb()) {
               # The guarded section is here
               $s->up();
           }

           # Forcefully decrement the semaphore even if its count goes below 0.
           $s->down_force();

           # The default value for semaphore operations is 1
           my $s = Thread::Semaphore->new($initial_value);
           $s->down($down_value);
           $s->up($up_value);
           if ($s->down_nb($down_value)) {
               ...
               $s->up($up_value);
           }
           $s->down_force($down_value);

DESCRIPTION

       Semaphores provide a mechanism to regulate access to resources.  Unlike locks, semaphores
       aren't tied to particular scalars, and so may be used to control access to anything you
       care to use them for.

       Semaphores don't limit their values to zero and one, so they can be used to control access
       to some resource that there may be more than one of (e.g., filehandles).  Increment and
       decrement amounts aren't fixed at one either, so threads can reserve or return multiple
       resources at once.

METHODS

       ->new()
       ->new(NUMBER)
               "new" creates a new semaphore, and initializes its count to the specified number
               (which must be an integer).  If no number is specified, the semaphore's count
               defaults to 1.

       ->down()
       ->down(NUMBER)
               The "down" method decreases the semaphore's count by the specified number (which
               must be an integer >= 1), or by one if no number is specified.

               If the semaphore's count would drop below zero, this method will block until such
               time as the semaphore's count is greater than or equal to the amount you're
               "down"ing the semaphore's count by.

               This is the semaphore "P operation" (the name derives from the Dutch word "pak",
               which means "capture" -- the semaphore operations were named by the late Dijkstra,
               who was Dutch).

       ->down_nb()
       ->down_nb(NUMBER)
               The "down_nb" method attempts to decrease the semaphore's count by the specified
               number (which must be an integer >= 1), or by one if no number is specified.

               If the semaphore's count would drop below zero, this method will return false, and
               the semaphore's count remains unchanged.  Otherwise, the semaphore's count is
               decremented and this method returns true.

       ->down_force()
       ->down_force(NUMBER)
               The "down_force" method decreases the semaphore's count by the specified number
               (which must be an integer >= 1), or by one if no number is specified.  This method
               does not block, and may cause the semaphore's count to drop below zero.

       ->down_timed(TIMEOUT)
       ->down_timed(TIMEOUT, NUMBER)
               The "down_timed" method attempts to decrease the semaphore's count by 1 or by the
               specified number within the specified timeout period given in seconds (which must
               be an integer >= 0).

               If the semaphore's count would drop below zero, this method will block until
               either the semaphore's count is greater than or equal to the amount you're
               "down"ing the semaphore's count by, or until the timeout is reached.

               If the timeout is reached, this method will return false, and the semaphore's
               count remains unchanged.  Otherwise, the semaphore's count is decremented and this
               method returns true.

       ->up()
       ->up(NUMBER)
               The "up" method increases the semaphore's count by the number specified (which
               must be an integer >= 1), or by one if no number is specified.

               This will unblock any thread that is blocked trying to "down" the semaphore if the
               "up" raises the semaphore's count above the amount that the "down" is trying to
               decrement it by.  For example, if three threads are blocked trying to "down" a
               semaphore by one, and another thread "up"s the semaphore by two, then two of the
               blocked threads (which two is indeterminate) will become unblocked.

               This is the semaphore "V operation" (the name derives from the Dutch word "vrij",
               which means "release").

NOTES

       Semaphores created by Thread::Semaphore can be used in both threaded and non-threaded
       applications.  This allows you to write modules and packages that potentially make use of
       semaphores, and that will function in either environment.

SEE ALSO

       Thread::Semaphore on MetaCPAN: <https://metacpan.org/release/Thread-Semaphore>

       Code repository for CPAN distribution: <https://github.com/Dual-Life/Thread-Semaphore>

       threads, threads::shared

       Sample code in the examples directory of this distribution on CPAN.

MAINTAINER

       Jerry D. Hedden, <jdhedden AT cpan DOT org>

LICENSE

       This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same
       terms as Perl itself.