std::atomic_fetch_sub, std::atomic_fetch_sub_explicit

From cppreference.com
< cpp‎ | atomic
Defined in header <atomic>
(1) (since C++11)
template< class Integral >
Integral atomic_fetch_sub( std::atomic<Integral>* obj, Integral arg );
template< class Integral >
Integral atomic_fetch_sub( volatile std::atomic<Integral>* obj, Integral arg );
(2) (since C++11)
template< class Integral >

Integral atomic_fetch_sub_explicit( std::atomic<Integral>* obj, Integral arg,

                                    std::memory_order order );
template< class Integral >

Integral atomic_fetch_sub_explicit( volatile std::atomic<Integral>* obj, Integral arg,

                                    std::memory_order order);
(3) (since C++11)
template< class T >
T* atomic_fetch_sub( std::atomic<T*>* obj, std::ptrdiff_t arg );
template< class T >
T* atomic_fetch_sub( volatile std::atomic<T*>* obj, std::ptrdiff_t arg );
(4) (since C++11)
template< class T >

T* atomic_fetch_sub_explicit( std::atomic<T*>* obj, std::ptrdiff_t arg,

                              std::memory_order order );
template< class T >

T* atomic_fetch_sub_explicit( volatile std::atomic<T*>* obj, std::ptrdiff_t arg,

                              std::memory_order order );

Performs atomic subtraction.

1-2) Atomically subtracts arg from the value pointed to by obj and returns the value obj held previously. The operation is performed as if the following was executed:
1) obj->fetch_sub(arg)
2) obj->fetch_sub(arg, order)
3-4) Atomically decrements the pointer value, pointed to by obj, by arg, and returns the value obj held previously. The operation is performed as if the following was executed:
3) obj->fetch_sub(arg)
4) obj->fetch_sub(arg, order)

Contents

[edit] Parameters

obj - pointer to the atomic object to modify
arg - the value to subtract from the value stored in the atomic object
order - the memory sycnhronization ordering for this operation: all values are permitted.

[edit] Return value

The value immediately preceding the effects of this function in the modification order of *obj.

[edit] Exceptions

noexcept specification:  
noexcept
  

[edit] Possible implementation

First version
template< class T >
typename std::enable_if<std::is_integral<T>::value && !std::is_same<T, bool>::value, T>::type
atomic_fetch_sub( std::atomic<T>* obj, T arg );
{
    return obj->fetch_sub(arg);
}
Second version
template< class T >
T* atomic_fetch_sub( std::atomic<T*>* obj, std::ptrdiff_t arg)
{
    return obj->fetch_sub(arg);
}

[edit] Example

Multiple threads may use fetch_sub to concurrently process an indexed container

#include <string>
#include <thread>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <atomic>
#include <numeric>
 
const int N = 10000;
std::atomic<int> cnt;
std::vector<int> data(N);
 
void reader(int id) 
{
    for (;;) {
        int idx = atomic_fetch_sub_explicit(&cnt, 1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
        if (idx >= 0) {
            std::cout << "reader " << std::to_string(id) << " processed item "
                      << std::to_string(data[idx]) << '\n';
        } else {
            std::cout << "reader " << std::to_string(id) << " done\n";
            break;
        }
    }
}
 
int main()
{
    std::iota(data.begin(), data.end(), 1);
    cnt = data.size() - 1;
 
    std::vector<std::thread> v;
    for (int n = 0; n < 10; ++n) {
        v.emplace_back(reader, n);
    }
    for (auto& t : v) {
        t.join();
    }
}

Output:

reader 2 processed item 10000
reader 6 processed item 9994
reader 4 processed item 9996
reader 6 processed item 9992
<....>
reader 0 done
reader 5 done
reader 3 done
reader 9 done

[edit] See also

(C++11)
atomically subtracts the argument from the value stored in the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function of std::atomic)
adds a non-atomic value to an atomic object and obtains the previous value of the atomic
(function template)
C documentation for atomic_fetch_sub, atomic_fetch_sub_explicit