std::defer_lock, std::try_to_lock, std::adopt_lock

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Thread support library
Threads
thread (C++11)
this_thread namespace
get_id (C++11)
yield (C++11)
sleep_for (C++11)
sleep_until (C++11)
Mutual exclusion
mutex (C++11)
timed_mutex (C++11)
Generic lock management
lock_guard (C++11)
unique_lock (C++11)
defer_lock_t
try_to_lock_t
adopt_lock_t
(C++11)
(C++11)
(C++11)
lock (C++11)
try_lock (C++11)
defer_lock
try_to_lock
adopt_lock
(C++11)
(C++11)
(C++11)
Condition variables
condition_variable (C++11)
condition_variable_any (C++11)
notify_all_at_thread_exit (C++11)
cv_status (C++11)
Futures
promise (C++11)
future (C++11)
shared_future (C++11)
packaged_task (C++11)
async (C++11)
launch (C++11)
future_status (C++11)
future_error (C++11)
future_category (C++11)
future_errc (C++11)
 
constexpr std::defer_lock_t defer_lock = std::defer_lock_t();
(since C++11)
constexpr std::try_to_lock_t try_to_lock = std::try_to_lock_t();
(since C++11)
constexpr std::adopt_lock_t adopt_lock = std::adopt_lock_t();
(since C++11)

std::defer_lock, std::try_to_lock and std::adopt_lock are instances of empty struct tag types std::defer_lock_t, std::try_to_lock_t and std::adopt_lock_t respectively.

They are used to specify locking strategies for std::lock_guard and std::unique_lock.

Type Effect(s)
defer_lock_t do not acquire ownership of the mutex
try_to_lock_t try to acquire ownership of the mutex without blocking
adopt_lock_t assume the calling thread already has ownership of the mutex

[edit] Example

#include <mutex>
#include <thread>
 
struct bank_account {
    explicit bank_account(int balance) : balance(balance) {}
    int balance;
    std::mutex m;
};
 
void transfer(bank_account &from, bank_account &to, int amount)
{
    // attempt to lock both mutexes without deadlock
    std::lock(from.m, to.m);
 
    // make sure both already-locked mutexes are unlocked when 
    // we're done; if we just used the lock_guard without std::lock
    // and std::adopt_lock, we might deadlock with other calls to transfer
    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock1(from.m, std::adopt_lock);
    std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock2(to.m, std::adopt_lock);
 
    from.balance -= amount;
    to.balance += amount;
}
 
int main()
{
    bank_account my_account(100);
    bank_account your_account(50);
 
    std::thread t1(transfer, std::ref(my_account), std::ref(your_account), 10);
    std::thread t2(transfer, std::ref(your_account), std::ref(my_account), 5);
 
    t1.join();
    t2.join();
}


[edit] See also

tag type used to specify locking strategy
(class)
constructs a lock_guard, optionally locking the given mutex
(public member function of std::lock_guard)
constructs a unique_lock, optionally locking the supplied mutex
(public member function of std::unique_lock)