Provided by: libbobcat-dev_6.06.02-1_amd64 
NAME
FBB::Signal - Signal Handler
SYNOPSIS
#include <bobcat/signal>
Linking option: -lbobcat
DESCRIPTION
Signals have the well known drawback that signals arrive free of context. E.g., assume a program runs a
flow control loop like this:
void Class::run()
{
while (d_continue)
handleTasks();
cleanup();
}
then if the program needs to recognize a termination signal then the typical signal handler looks like
this:
void signalHandler(int signal)
{
// perform required actions
}
Since the signalHandler is called asynchronically, there is no context available, and the usual way of
communicating between objects and signal handlers is via static variables, like this:
// declared as static bool s_continue;
bool Class::s_continue = true;
void Class::run()
{
while (s_continue)
handleTasks();
cleanup();
}
// declared as static void signalHander(int signal);
void Class::signalHandler(int signal)
{
s_continue = false;
}
The class Signal allows the signal handler to operate in the context of a class. The advantage of this is
that static data members are no longer required and that the signal may be used to control data members
of individual objects.
The signal is now handled by an object, whose class must define a member
void signalHandler(size_t signum) override;
and this function is responsible for handling the received signal. Since it is a member function it may
affect its object’s local variables and it may call its object’s member functions. Static data members
are not required anymore (see below for an example).
Note that, as the signal may arrive at unpredicable times data members that can be modified by
signalHandler should be declared using the volatile modifier. Moreover, data that can be modified by the
signalHandler member and by other class members should be protected by mutexes (cf. the C++-11 class
std::mutex or pthread_mutex_lock(3posix)).
NAMESPACE
FBB
All constructors, members, operators and manipulators, mentioned in this man-page, are defined in the
namespace FBB.
INHERITS FROM
Signal is not derived from other classes, but the classes for which signals must be handled by Signal
must themselves publicly be derived from the class FBB::SignalHandler and must implement a member
void signalHandler(size_t signum) override;
handling the received signal.
CONSTRUCTORS AND OVERLOADED OPERATORS
Signal is defined as a singleton, and does not offer public or protected constructors, nor does it offer
overloaded operators.
STATIC MEMBER FUNCTION
o static Signal &instance():
This static member can be used to access a reference to the program’s single Signal object.
MEMBER FUNCTIONS
All of Signal’s member functions can only be called through a reference to the program’s Signal object,
returning a reference to the program’s single Signal object:
o void add(size_t signum, SignalHandler &object):
SignalHandler object is activated on arrival of signal signum. If multiple SignalHandler objects
must be called then multiple Signal::add calls can be provided, and the various
SignalHandler::signalHandler members are called in the same sequence as their respective
Signal::add calls. If one of the earlier signalHandler members terminates the program then later
signalHandler members are not activated anymore. If Signal::add is called by, e.g., an object’s
constructor, then its destructor should call Signal::remove to prevent the object’s signal handler
from being called after its destruction.
o void remove(size_t signum, SignalHandler &object):
SignalHandler object for signal signum is removed from the Signal object. It is the responsibility
of object to deregister itself from Signal just before object goes out of scope. Objects can only
deregister themselves if they’ve previously registered themselves using add.
o void ignore(size_t signum):
Any previously installed SignalHandler object is no longer activated on arrival of signal signum.
In addition, if possible, signal signum is completely ignored (some signals cannot be caught,
blocked, of ignored, like SIGKILL and SIGSTOP (cf. signal(7))).
o void reset(size_t signum):
Any previously installed SignalHandler object is no longer activated on arrival of signal signum.
In addition, the default action the program takes on arrival of signal signum is reinstalled (cf.
signal(7)).
If the signum value that is passed to Signal’s members is not a defined signal value, then an
FBB::Exception exception is thrown.
EXAMPLE
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <iostream>
#include "../signal"
class SignalDemo: public FBB::SignalHandler
{
volatile size_t d_signal;
volatile bool d_continue;
pid_t d_pid;
public:
SignalDemo();
void run();
private:
void signalHandler(size_t signum) override;
};
using namespace std;
using namespace FBB;
SignalDemo::SignalDemo()
:
d_signal(0),
d_continue(true),
d_pid(getpid())
{}
void SignalDemo::run()
{
while (d_continue)
{
cout << "Send a SIGINT (2) or SIGTERM (15) ... to process " <<
d_pid << endl;
sleep(1);
}
cout << "Ending `run’ after receiving signal " << d_signal << endl;
}
void SignalDemo::signalHandler(size_t signal)
{
if (signal == SIGINT)
cout << "Process " << d_pid << " received SIGINT" << endl;
else if (signal == SIGTERM)
{
cout << "Process " << d_pid << " received SIGTERM" << endl;
d_signal = SIGTERM;
d_continue = false;
}
}
int main()
{
SignalDemo signalDemo;
Signal::instance().add(SIGINT, signalDemo);
Signal::instance().add(SIGTERM, signalDemo);
signalDemo.run();
}
FILES
bobcat/signal - defines the class interface
SEE ALSO
bobcat(7), pthread_mutex_lock(3posix), signal(7), and the C++-11 class std::mutex.
BUGS
None Reported.
BOBCAT PROJECT FILES
o https://fbb-git.gitlab.io/bobcat/: gitlab project page;
o bobcat_6.06.02-x.dsc: detached signature;
o bobcat_6.06.02-x.tar.gz: source archive;
o bobcat_6.06.02-x_i386.changes: change log;
o libbobcat1_6.06.02-x_*.deb: debian package containing the libraries;
o libbobcat1-dev_6.06.02-x_*.deb: debian package containing the libraries, headers and manual pages;
BOBCAT
Bobcat is an acronym of `Brokken’s Own Base Classes And Templates’.
COPYRIGHT
This is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).
AUTHOR
Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl).