1
2======================
3Thread Safety Analysis
4======================
5
6Introduction
7============
8
9Clang Thread Safety Analysis is a C++ language extension which warns about
10potential race conditions in code.  The analysis is completely static (i.e.
11compile-time); there is no run-time overhead.  The analysis is still
12under active development, but it is mature enough to be deployed in an
13industrial setting.  It is being developed by Google, in collaboration with
14CERT/SEI, and is used extensively in Google's internal code base.
15
16Thread safety analysis works very much like a type system for multi-threaded
17programs.  In addition to declaring the *type* of data (e.g. ``int``, ``float``,
18etc.), the programmer can (optionally) declare how access to that data is
19controlled in a multi-threaded environment.  For example, if ``foo`` is
20*guarded by* the mutex ``mu``, then the analysis will issue a warning whenever
21a piece of code reads or writes to ``foo`` without first locking ``mu``.
22Similarly, if there are particular routines that should only be called by
23the GUI thread, then the analysis will warn if other threads call those
24routines.
25
26Getting Started
27----------------
28
29.. code-block:: c++
30
31  #include "mutex.h"
32
33  class BankAccount {
34  private:
35    Mutex mu;
36    int   balance GUARDED_BY(mu);
37
38    void depositImpl(int amount) {
39      balance += amount;       // WARNING! Cannot write balance without locking mu.
40    }
41
42    void withdrawImpl(int amount) REQUIRES(mu) {
43      balance -= amount;       // OK. Caller must have locked mu.
44    }
45
46  public:
47    void withdraw(int amount) {
48      mu.Lock();
49      withdrawImpl(amount);    // OK.  We've locked mu.
50    }                          // WARNING!  Failed to unlock mu.
51
52    void transferFrom(BankAccount& b, int amount) {
53      mu.Lock();
54      b.withdrawImpl(amount);  // WARNING!  Calling withdrawImpl() requires locking b.mu.
55      depositImpl(amount);     // OK.  depositImpl() has no requirements.
56      mu.Unlock();
57    }
58  };
59
60This example demonstrates the basic concepts behind the analysis.  The
61``GUARDED_BY`` attribute declares that a thread must lock ``mu`` before it can
62read or write to ``balance``, thus ensuring that the increment and decrement
63operations are atomic.  Similarly, ``REQUIRES`` declares that
64the calling thread must lock ``mu`` before calling ``withdrawImpl``.
65Because the caller is assumed to have locked ``mu``, it is safe to modify
66``balance`` within the body of the method.
67
68The ``depositImpl()`` method does not have ``REQUIRES``, so the
69analysis issues a warning.  Thread safety analysis is not inter-procedural, so
70caller requirements must be explicitly declared.
71There is also a warning in ``transferFrom()``, because although the method
72locks ``this->mu``, it does not lock ``b.mu``.  The analysis understands
73that these are two separate mutexes, in two different objects.
74
75Finally, there is a warning in the ``withdraw()`` method, because it fails to
76unlock ``mu``.  Every lock must have a corresponding unlock, and the analysis
77will detect both double locks, and double unlocks.  A function is allowed to
78acquire a lock without releasing it, (or vice versa), but it must be annotated
79as such (using ``ACQUIRE``/``RELEASE``).
80
81
82Running The Analysis
83--------------------
84
85To run the analysis, simply compile with the ``-Wthread-safety`` flag, e.g.
86
87.. code-block:: bash
88
89  clang -c -Wthread-safety example.cpp
90
91Note that this example assumes the presence of a suitably annotated
92:ref:`mutexheader` that declares which methods perform locking,
93unlocking, and so on.
94
95
96Basic Concepts: Capabilities
97============================
98
99Thread safety analysis provides a way of protecting *resources* with
100*capabilities*.  A resource is either a data member, or a function/method
101that provides access to some underlying resource.  The analysis ensures that
102the calling thread cannot access the *resource* (i.e. call the function, or
103read/write the data) unless it has the *capability* to do so.
104
105Capabilities are associated with named C++ objects which declare specific
106methods to acquire and release the capability.  The name of the object serves
107to identify the capability.  The most common example is a mutex.  For example,
108if ``mu`` is a mutex, then calling ``mu.Lock()`` causes the calling thread
109to acquire the capability to access data that is protected by ``mu``. Similarly,
110calling ``mu.Unlock()`` releases that capability.
111
112A thread may hold a capability either *exclusively* or *shared*.  An exclusive
113capability can be held by only one thread at a time, while a shared capability
114can be held by many threads at the same time.  This mechanism enforces a
115multiple-reader, single-writer pattern.  Write operations to protected data
116require exclusive access, while read operations require only shared access.
117
118At any given moment during program execution, a thread holds a specific set of
119capabilities (e.g. the set of mutexes that it has locked.)  These act like keys
120or tokens that allow the thread to access a given resource.  Just like physical
121security keys, a thread cannot make copy of a capability, nor can it destroy
122one.  A thread can only release a capability to another thread, or acquire one
123from another thread.  The annotations are deliberately agnostic about the
124exact mechanism used to acquire and release capabilities; it assumes that the
125underlying implementation (e.g. the Mutex implementation) does the handoff in
126an appropriate manner.
127
128The set of capabilities that are actually held by a given thread at a given
129point in program execution is a run-time concept.  The static analysis works
130by calculating an approximation of that set, called the *capability
131environment*.  The capability environment is calculated for every program point,
132and describes the set of capabilities that are statically known to be held, or
133not held, at that particular point.  This environment is a conservative
134approximation of the full set of capabilities that will actually held by a
135thread at run-time.
136
137
138Reference Guide
139===============
140
141The thread safety analysis uses attributes to declare threading constraints.
142Attributes must be attached to named declarations, such as classes, methods,
143and data members. Users are *strongly advised* to define macros for the various
144attributes; example definitions can be found in :ref:`mutexheader`, below.
145The following documentation assumes the use of macros.
146
147The attributes only control assumptions made by thread safety analysis and the
148warnings it issues.  They don't affect generated code or behavior at run-time.
149
150For historical reasons, prior versions of thread safety used macro names that
151were very lock-centric.  These macros have since been renamed to fit a more
152general capability model.  The prior names are still in use, and will be
153mentioned under the tag *previously* where appropriate.
154
155
156GUARDED_BY(c) and PT_GUARDED_BY(c)
157----------------------------------
158
159``GUARDED_BY`` is an attribute on data members, which declares that the data
160member is protected by the given capability.  Read operations on the data
161require shared access, while write operations require exclusive access.
162
163``PT_GUARDED_BY`` is similar, but is intended for use on pointers and smart
164pointers. There is no constraint on the data member itself, but the *data that
165it points to* is protected by the given capability.
166
167.. code-block:: c++
168
169  Mutex mu;
170  int *p1             GUARDED_BY(mu);
171  int *p2             PT_GUARDED_BY(mu);
172  unique_ptr<int> p3  PT_GUARDED_BY(mu);
173
174  void test() {
175    p1 = 0;             // Warning!
176
177    *p2 = 42;           // Warning!
178    p2 = new int;       // OK.
179
180    *p3 = 42;           // Warning!
181    p3.reset(new int);  // OK.
182  }
183
184
185REQUIRES(...), REQUIRES_SHARED(...)
186-----------------------------------
187
188*Previously*: ``EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED``, ``SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED``
189
190``REQUIRES`` is an attribute on functions or methods, which
191declares that the calling thread must have exclusive access to the given
192capabilities.  More than one capability may be specified.  The capabilities
193must be held on entry to the function, *and must still be held on exit*.
194
195``REQUIRES_SHARED`` is similar, but requires only shared access.
196
197.. code-block:: c++
198
199  Mutex mu1, mu2;
200  int a GUARDED_BY(mu1);
201  int b GUARDED_BY(mu2);
202
203  void foo() REQUIRES(mu1, mu2) {
204    a = 0;
205    b = 0;
206  }
207
208  void test() {
209    mu1.Lock();
210    foo();         // Warning!  Requires mu2.
211    mu1.Unlock();
212  }
213
214
215ACQUIRE(...), ACQUIRE_SHARED(...), RELEASE(...), RELEASE_SHARED(...), RELEASE_GENERIC(...)
216------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
217
218*Previously*: ``EXCLUSIVE_LOCK_FUNCTION``, ``SHARED_LOCK_FUNCTION``,
219``UNLOCK_FUNCTION``
220
221``ACQUIRE`` and ``ACQUIRE_SHARED`` are attributes on functions or methods
222declaring that the function acquires a capability, but does not release it.
223The given capability must not be held on entry, and will be held on exit
224(exclusively for ``ACQUIRE``, shared for ``ACQUIRE_SHARED``).
225
226``RELEASE``, ``RELEASE_SHARED``, and ``RELEASE_GENERIC`` declare that the
227function releases the given capability.  The capability must be held on entry
228(exclusively for ``RELEASE``, shared for ``RELEASE_SHARED``, exclusively or
229shared for ``RELEASE_GENERIC``), and will no longer be held on exit.
230
231.. code-block:: c++
232
233  Mutex mu;
234  MyClass myObject GUARDED_BY(mu);
235
236  void lockAndInit() ACQUIRE(mu) {
237    mu.Lock();
238    myObject.init();
239  }
240
241  void cleanupAndUnlock() RELEASE(mu) {
242    myObject.cleanup();
243  }                          // Warning!  Need to unlock mu.
244
245  void test() {
246    lockAndInit();
247    myObject.doSomething();
248    cleanupAndUnlock();
249    myObject.doSomething();  // Warning, mu is not locked.
250  }
251
252If no argument is passed to ``ACQUIRE`` or ``RELEASE``, then the argument is
253assumed to be ``this``, and the analysis will not check the body of the
254function.  This pattern is intended for use by classes which hide locking
255details behind an abstract interface.  For example:
256
257.. code-block:: c++
258
259  template <class T>
260  class CAPABILITY("mutex") Container {
261  private:
262    Mutex mu;
263    T* data;
264
265  public:
266    // Hide mu from public interface.
267    void Lock()   ACQUIRE() { mu.Lock(); }
268    void Unlock() RELEASE() { mu.Unlock(); }
269
270    T& getElem(int i) { return data[i]; }
271  };
272
273  void test() {
274    Container<int> c;
275    c.Lock();
276    int i = c.getElem(0);
277    c.Unlock();
278  }
279
280
281EXCLUDES(...)
282-------------
283
284*Previously*: ``LOCKS_EXCLUDED``
285
286``EXCLUDES`` is an attribute on functions or methods, which declares that
287the caller must *not* hold the given capabilities.  This annotation is
288used to prevent deadlock.  Many mutex implementations are not re-entrant, so
289deadlock can occur if the function acquires the mutex a second time.
290
291.. code-block:: c++
292
293  Mutex mu;
294  int a GUARDED_BY(mu);
295
296  void clear() EXCLUDES(mu) {
297    mu.Lock();
298    a = 0;
299    mu.Unlock();
300  }
301
302  void reset() {
303    mu.Lock();
304    clear();     // Warning!  Caller cannot hold 'mu'.
305    mu.Unlock();
306  }
307
308Unlike ``REQUIRES``, ``EXCLUDES`` is optional.  The analysis will not issue a
309warning if the attribute is missing, which can lead to false negatives in some
310cases.  This issue is discussed further in :ref:`negative`.
311
312
313NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS
314-------------------------
315
316``NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS`` is an attribute on functions or methods, which
317turns off thread safety checking for that method.  It provides an escape hatch
318for functions which are either (1) deliberately thread-unsafe, or (2) are
319thread-safe, but too complicated for the analysis to understand.  Reasons for
320(2) will be described in the :ref:`limitations`, below.
321
322.. code-block:: c++
323
324  class Counter {
325    Mutex mu;
326    int a GUARDED_BY(mu);
327
328    void unsafeIncrement() NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS { a++; }
329  };
330
331Unlike the other attributes, NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS is not part of the
332interface of a function, and should thus be placed on the function definition
333(in the ``.cc`` or ``.cpp`` file) rather than on the function declaration
334(in the header).
335
336
337RETURN_CAPABILITY(c)
338--------------------
339
340*Previously*: ``LOCK_RETURNED``
341
342``RETURN_CAPABILITY`` is an attribute on functions or methods, which declares
343that the function returns a reference to the given capability.  It is used to
344annotate getter methods that return mutexes.
345
346.. code-block:: c++
347
348  class MyClass {
349  private:
350    Mutex mu;
351    int a GUARDED_BY(mu);
352
353  public:
354    Mutex* getMu() RETURN_CAPABILITY(mu) { return &mu; }
355
356    // analysis knows that getMu() == mu
357    void clear() REQUIRES(getMu()) { a = 0; }
358  };
359
360
361ACQUIRED_BEFORE(...), ACQUIRED_AFTER(...)
362-----------------------------------------
363
364``ACQUIRED_BEFORE`` and ``ACQUIRED_AFTER`` are attributes on member
365declarations, specifically declarations of mutexes or other capabilities.
366These declarations enforce a particular order in which the mutexes must be
367acquired, in order to prevent deadlock.
368
369.. code-block:: c++
370
371  Mutex m1;
372  Mutex m2 ACQUIRED_AFTER(m1);
373
374  // Alternative declaration
375  // Mutex m2;
376  // Mutex m1 ACQUIRED_BEFORE(m2);
377
378  void foo() {
379    m2.Lock();
380    m1.Lock();  // Warning!  m2 must be acquired after m1.
381    m1.Unlock();
382    m2.Unlock();
383  }
384
385
386CAPABILITY(<string>)
387--------------------
388
389*Previously*: ``LOCKABLE``
390
391``CAPABILITY`` is an attribute on classes, which specifies that objects of the
392class can be used as a capability.  The string argument specifies the kind of
393capability in error messages, e.g. ``"mutex"``.  See the ``Container`` example
394given above, or the ``Mutex`` class in :ref:`mutexheader`.
395
396
397SCOPED_CAPABILITY
398-----------------
399
400*Previously*: ``SCOPED_LOCKABLE``
401
402``SCOPED_CAPABILITY`` is an attribute on classes that implement RAII-style
403locking, in which a capability is acquired in the constructor, and released in
404the destructor.  Such classes require special handling because the constructor
405and destructor refer to the capability via different names; see the
406``MutexLocker`` class in :ref:`mutexheader`, below.
407
408Scoped capabilities are treated as capabilities that are implicitly acquired
409on construction and released on destruction. They are associated with
410the set of (regular) capabilities named in thread safety attributes on the
411constructor. Acquire-type attributes on other member functions are treated as
412applying to that set of associated capabilities, while ``RELEASE`` implies that
413a function releases all associated capabilities in whatever mode they're held.
414
415
416TRY_ACQUIRE(<bool>, ...), TRY_ACQUIRE_SHARED(<bool>, ...)
417---------------------------------------------------------
418
419*Previously:* ``EXCLUSIVE_TRYLOCK_FUNCTION``, ``SHARED_TRYLOCK_FUNCTION``
420
421These are attributes on a function or method that tries to acquire the given
422capability, and returns a boolean value indicating success or failure.
423The first argument must be ``true`` or ``false``, to specify which return value
424indicates success, and the remaining arguments are interpreted in the same way
425as ``ACQUIRE``.  See :ref:`mutexheader`, below, for example uses.
426
427Because the analysis doesn't support conditional locking, a capability is
428treated as acquired after the first branch on the return value of a try-acquire
429function.
430
431.. code-block:: c++
432
433  Mutex mu;
434  int a GUARDED_BY(mu);
435
436  void foo() {
437    bool success = mu.TryLock();
438    a = 0;         // Warning, mu is not locked.
439    if (success) {
440      a = 0;       // Ok.
441      mu.Unlock();
442    } else {
443      a = 0;       // Warning, mu is not locked.
444    }
445  }
446
447
448ASSERT_CAPABILITY(...) and ASSERT_SHARED_CAPABILITY(...)
449--------------------------------------------------------
450
451*Previously:*  ``ASSERT_EXCLUSIVE_LOCK``, ``ASSERT_SHARED_LOCK``
452
453These are attributes on a function or method which asserts the calling thread
454already holds the given capability, for example by performing a run-time test
455and terminating if the capability is not held.  Presence of this annotation
456causes the analysis to assume the capability is held after calls to the
457annotated function.  See :ref:`mutexheader`, below, for example uses.
458
459
460GUARDED_VAR and PT_GUARDED_VAR
461------------------------------
462
463Use of these attributes has been deprecated.
464
465
466Warning flags
467-------------
468
469* ``-Wthread-safety``:  Umbrella flag which turns on the following three:
470
471  + ``-Wthread-safety-attributes``: Sanity checks on attribute syntax.
472  + ``-Wthread-safety-analysis``: The core analysis.
473  + ``-Wthread-safety-precise``: Requires that mutex expressions match precisely.
474       This warning can be disabled for code which has a lot of aliases.
475  + ``-Wthread-safety-reference``: Checks when guarded members are passed by reference.
476
477
478:ref:`negative` are an experimental feature, which are enabled with:
479
480* ``-Wthread-safety-negative``:  Negative capabilities.  Off by default.
481
482When new features and checks are added to the analysis, they can often introduce
483additional warnings.  Those warnings are initially released as *beta* warnings
484for a period of time, after which they are migrated into the standard analysis.
485
486* ``-Wthread-safety-beta``:  New features.  Off by default.
487
488
489.. _negative:
490
491Negative Capabilities
492=====================
493
494Thread Safety Analysis is designed to prevent both race conditions and
495deadlock.  The GUARDED_BY and REQUIRES attributes prevent race conditions, by
496ensuring that a capability is held before reading or writing to guarded data,
497and the EXCLUDES attribute prevents deadlock, by making sure that a mutex is
498*not* held.
499
500However, EXCLUDES is an optional attribute, and does not provide the same
501safety guarantee as REQUIRES.  In particular:
502
503  * A function which acquires a capability does not have to exclude it.
504  * A function which calls a function that excludes a capability does not
505    have transitively exclude that capability.
506
507As a result, EXCLUDES can easily produce false negatives:
508
509.. code-block:: c++
510
511  class Foo {
512    Mutex mu;
513
514    void foo() {
515      mu.Lock();
516      bar();           // No warning.
517      baz();           // No warning.
518      mu.Unlock();
519    }
520
521    void bar() {       // No warning.  (Should have EXCLUDES(mu)).
522      mu.Lock();
523      // ...
524      mu.Unlock();
525    }
526
527    void baz() {
528      bif();           // No warning.  (Should have EXCLUDES(mu)).
529    }
530
531    void bif() EXCLUDES(mu);
532  };
533
534
535Negative requirements are an alternative EXCLUDES that provide
536a stronger safety guarantee.  A negative requirement uses the  REQUIRES
537attribute, in conjunction with the ``!`` operator, to indicate that a capability
538should *not* be held.
539
540For example, using ``REQUIRES(!mu)`` instead of ``EXCLUDES(mu)`` will produce
541the appropriate warnings:
542
543.. code-block:: c++
544
545  class FooNeg {
546    Mutex mu;
547
548    void foo() REQUIRES(!mu) {   // foo() now requires !mu.
549      mu.Lock();
550      bar();
551      baz();
552      mu.Unlock();
553    }
554
555    void bar() {
556      mu.Lock();       // WARNING!  Missing REQUIRES(!mu).
557      // ...
558      mu.Unlock();
559    }
560
561    void baz() {
562      bif();           // WARNING!  Missing REQUIRES(!mu).
563    }
564
565    void bif() REQUIRES(!mu);
566  };
567
568
569Negative requirements are an experimental feature which is off by default,
570because it will produce many warnings in existing code.  It can be enabled
571by passing ``-Wthread-safety-negative``.
572
573
574.. _faq:
575
576Frequently Asked Questions
577==========================
578
579(Q) Should I put attributes in the header file, or in the .cc/.cpp/.cxx file?
580
581(A) Attributes are part of the formal interface of a function, and should
582always go in the header, where they are visible to anything that includes
583the header.  Attributes in the .cpp file are not visible outside of the
584immediate translation unit, which leads to false negatives and false positives.
585
586
587(Q) "*Mutex is not locked on every path through here?*"  What does that mean?
588
589(A) See :ref:`conditional_locks`, below.
590
591
592.. _limitations:
593
594Known Limitations
595=================
596
597Lexical scope
598-------------
599
600Thread safety attributes contain ordinary C++ expressions, and thus follow
601ordinary C++ scoping rules.  In particular, this means that mutexes and other
602capabilities must be declared before they can be used in an attribute.
603Use-before-declaration is okay within a single class, because attributes are
604parsed at the same time as method bodies. (C++ delays parsing of method bodies
605until the end of the class.)  However, use-before-declaration is not allowed
606between classes, as illustrated below.
607
608.. code-block:: c++
609
610  class Foo;
611
612  class Bar {
613    void bar(Foo* f) REQUIRES(f->mu);  // Error: mu undeclared.
614  };
615
616  class Foo {
617    Mutex mu;
618  };
619
620
621Private Mutexes
622---------------
623
624Good software engineering practice dictates that mutexes should be private
625members, because the locking mechanism used by a thread-safe class is part of
626its internal implementation.  However, private mutexes can sometimes leak into
627the public interface of a class.
628Thread safety attributes follow normal C++ access restrictions, so if ``mu``
629is a private member of ``c``, then it is an error to write ``c.mu`` in an
630attribute.
631
632One workaround is to (ab)use the ``RETURN_CAPABILITY`` attribute to provide a
633public *name* for a private mutex, without actually exposing the underlying
634mutex.  For example:
635
636.. code-block:: c++
637
638  class MyClass {
639  private:
640    Mutex mu;
641
642  public:
643    // For thread safety analysis only.  Does not need to be defined.
644    Mutex* getMu() RETURN_CAPABILITY(mu);
645
646    void doSomething() REQUIRES(mu);
647  };
648
649  void doSomethingTwice(MyClass& c) REQUIRES(c.getMu()) {
650    // The analysis thinks that c.getMu() == c.mu
651    c.doSomething();
652    c.doSomething();
653  }
654
655In the above example, ``doSomethingTwice()`` is an external routine that
656requires ``c.mu`` to be locked, which cannot be declared directly because ``mu``
657is private.  This pattern is discouraged because it
658violates encapsulation, but it is sometimes necessary, especially when adding
659annotations to an existing code base.  The workaround is to define ``getMu()``
660as a fake getter method, which is provided only for the benefit of thread
661safety analysis.
662
663
664.. _conditional_locks:
665
666No conditionally held locks.
667----------------------------
668
669The analysis must be able to determine whether a lock is held, or not held, at
670every program point.  Thus, sections of code where a lock *might be held* will
671generate spurious warnings (false positives).  For example:
672
673.. code-block:: c++
674
675  void foo() {
676    bool b = needsToLock();
677    if (b) mu.Lock();
678    ...  // Warning!  Mutex 'mu' is not held on every path through here.
679    if (b) mu.Unlock();
680  }
681
682
683No checking inside constructors and destructors.
684------------------------------------------------
685
686The analysis currently does not do any checking inside constructors or
687destructors.  In other words, every constructor and destructor is treated as
688if it was annotated with ``NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS``.
689The reason for this is that during initialization, only one thread typically
690has access to the object which is being initialized, and it is thus safe (and
691common practice) to initialize guarded members without acquiring any locks.
692The same is true of destructors.
693
694Ideally, the analysis would allow initialization of guarded members inside the
695object being initialized or destroyed, while still enforcing the usual access
696restrictions on everything else.  However, this is difficult to enforce in
697practice, because in complex pointer-based data structures, it is hard to
698determine what data is owned by the enclosing object.
699
700No inlining.
701------------
702
703Thread safety analysis is strictly intra-procedural, just like ordinary type
704checking.  It relies only on the declared attributes of a function, and will
705not attempt to inline any method calls.  As a result, code such as the
706following will not work:
707
708.. code-block:: c++
709
710  template<class T>
711  class AutoCleanup {
712    T* object;
713    void (T::*mp)();
714
715  public:
716    AutoCleanup(T* obj, void (T::*imp)()) : object(obj), mp(imp) { }
717    ~AutoCleanup() { (object->*mp)(); }
718  };
719
720  Mutex mu;
721  void foo() {
722    mu.Lock();
723    AutoCleanup<Mutex>(&mu, &Mutex::Unlock);
724    // ...
725  }  // Warning, mu is not unlocked.
726
727In this case, the destructor of ``Autocleanup`` calls ``mu.Unlock()``, so
728the warning is bogus.  However,
729thread safety analysis cannot see the unlock, because it does not attempt to
730inline the destructor.  Moreover, there is no way to annotate the destructor,
731because the destructor is calling a function that is not statically known.
732This pattern is simply not supported.
733
734
735No alias analysis.
736------------------
737
738The analysis currently does not track pointer aliases.  Thus, there can be
739false positives if two pointers both point to the same mutex.
740
741
742.. code-block:: c++
743
744  class MutexUnlocker {
745    Mutex* mu;
746
747  public:
748    MutexUnlocker(Mutex* m) RELEASE(m) : mu(m)  { mu->Unlock(); }
749    ~MutexUnlocker() ACQUIRE(mu) { mu->Lock(); }
750  };
751
752  Mutex mutex;
753  void test() REQUIRES(mutex) {
754    {
755      MutexUnlocker munl(&mutex);  // unlocks mutex
756      doSomeIO();
757    }                              // Warning: locks munl.mu
758  }
759
760The MutexUnlocker class is intended to be the dual of the MutexLocker class,
761defined in :ref:`mutexheader`.  However, it doesn't work because the analysis
762doesn't know that munl.mu == mutex.  The SCOPED_CAPABILITY attribute handles
763aliasing for MutexLocker, but does so only for that particular pattern.
764
765
766ACQUIRED_BEFORE(...) and ACQUIRED_AFTER(...) are currently unimplemented.
767-------------------------------------------------------------------------
768
769To be fixed in a future update.
770
771
772.. _mutexheader:
773
774mutex.h
775=======
776
777Thread safety analysis can be used with any threading library, but it does
778require that the threading API be wrapped in classes and methods which have the
779appropriate annotations.  The following code provides ``mutex.h`` as an example;
780these methods should be filled in to call the appropriate underlying
781implementation.
782
783
784.. code-block:: c++
785
786
787  #ifndef THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS_MUTEX_H
788  #define THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS_MUTEX_H
789
790  // Enable thread safety attributes only with clang.
791  // The attributes can be safely erased when compiling with other compilers.
792  #if defined(__clang__) && (!defined(SWIG))
793  #define THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(x)   __attribute__((x))
794  #else
795  #define THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(x)   // no-op
796  #endif
797
798  #define CAPABILITY(x) \
799    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(capability(x))
800
801  #define SCOPED_CAPABILITY \
802    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(scoped_lockable)
803
804  #define GUARDED_BY(x) \
805    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(guarded_by(x))
806
807  #define PT_GUARDED_BY(x) \
808    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(pt_guarded_by(x))
809
810  #define ACQUIRED_BEFORE(...) \
811    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(acquired_before(__VA_ARGS__))
812
813  #define ACQUIRED_AFTER(...) \
814    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(acquired_after(__VA_ARGS__))
815
816  #define REQUIRES(...) \
817    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(requires_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
818
819  #define REQUIRES_SHARED(...) \
820    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(requires_shared_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
821
822  #define ACQUIRE(...) \
823    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(acquire_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
824
825  #define ACQUIRE_SHARED(...) \
826    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(acquire_shared_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
827
828  #define RELEASE(...) \
829    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(release_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
830
831  #define RELEASE_SHARED(...) \
832    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(release_shared_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
833
834  #define RELEASE_GENERIC(...) \
835    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(release_generic_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
836
837  #define TRY_ACQUIRE(...) \
838    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(try_acquire_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
839
840  #define TRY_ACQUIRE_SHARED(...) \
841    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(try_acquire_shared_capability(__VA_ARGS__))
842
843  #define EXCLUDES(...) \
844    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(locks_excluded(__VA_ARGS__))
845
846  #define ASSERT_CAPABILITY(x) \
847    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(assert_capability(x))
848
849  #define ASSERT_SHARED_CAPABILITY(x) \
850    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(assert_shared_capability(x))
851
852  #define RETURN_CAPABILITY(x) \
853    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(lock_returned(x))
854
855  #define NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS \
856    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(no_thread_safety_analysis)
857
858
859  // Defines an annotated interface for mutexes.
860  // These methods can be implemented to use any internal mutex implementation.
861  class CAPABILITY("mutex") Mutex {
862  public:
863    // Acquire/lock this mutex exclusively.  Only one thread can have exclusive
864    // access at any one time.  Write operations to guarded data require an
865    // exclusive lock.
866    void Lock() ACQUIRE();
867
868    // Acquire/lock this mutex for read operations, which require only a shared
869    // lock.  This assumes a multiple-reader, single writer semantics.  Multiple
870    // threads may acquire the mutex simultaneously as readers, but a writer
871    // must wait for all of them to release the mutex before it can acquire it
872    // exclusively.
873    void ReaderLock() ACQUIRE_SHARED();
874
875    // Release/unlock an exclusive mutex.
876    void Unlock() RELEASE();
877
878    // Release/unlock a shared mutex.
879    void ReaderUnlock() RELEASE_SHARED();
880
881    // Generic unlock, can unlock exclusive and shared mutexes.
882    void GenericUnlock() RELEASE_GENERIC();
883
884    // Try to acquire the mutex.  Returns true on success, and false on failure.
885    bool TryLock() TRY_ACQUIRE(true);
886
887    // Try to acquire the mutex for read operations.
888    bool ReaderTryLock() TRY_ACQUIRE_SHARED(true);
889
890    // Assert that this mutex is currently held by the calling thread.
891    void AssertHeld() ASSERT_CAPABILITY(this);
892
893    // Assert that is mutex is currently held for read operations.
894    void AssertReaderHeld() ASSERT_SHARED_CAPABILITY(this);
895
896    // For negative capabilities.
897    const Mutex& operator!() const { return *this; }
898  };
899
900  // Tag types for selecting a constructor.
901  struct adopt_lock_t {} inline constexpr adopt_lock = {};
902  struct defer_lock_t {} inline constexpr defer_lock = {};
903  struct shared_lock_t {} inline constexpr shared_lock = {};
904
905  // MutexLocker is an RAII class that acquires a mutex in its constructor, and
906  // releases it in its destructor.
907  class SCOPED_CAPABILITY MutexLocker {
908  private:
909    Mutex* mut;
910    bool locked;
911
912  public:
913    // Acquire mu, implicitly acquire *this and associate it with mu.
914    MutexLocker(Mutex *mu) ACQUIRE(mu) : mut(mu), locked(true) {
915      mu->Lock();
916    }
917
918    // Assume mu is held, implicitly acquire *this and associate it with mu.
919    MutexLocker(Mutex *mu, adopt_lock_t) REQUIRES(mu) : mut(mu), locked(true) {}
920
921    // Acquire mu in shared mode, implicitly acquire *this and associate it with mu.
922    MutexLocker(Mutex *mu, shared_lock_t) ACQUIRE_SHARED(mu) : mut(mu), locked(true) {
923      mu->ReaderLock();
924    }
925
926    // Assume mu is held in shared mode, implicitly acquire *this and associate it with mu.
927    MutexLocker(Mutex *mu, adopt_lock_t, shared_lock_t) REQUIRES_SHARED(mu)
928      : mut(mu), locked(true) {}
929
930    // Assume mu is not held, implicitly acquire *this and associate it with mu.
931    MutexLocker(Mutex *mu, defer_lock_t) EXCLUDES(mu) : mut(mu), locked(false) {}
932
933    // Release *this and all associated mutexes, if they are still held.
934    // There is no warning if the scope was already unlocked before.
935    ~MutexLocker() RELEASE() {
936      if (locked)
937        mut->GenericUnlock();
938    }
939
940    // Acquire all associated mutexes exclusively.
941    void Lock() ACQUIRE() {
942      mut->Lock();
943      locked = true;
944    }
945
946    // Try to acquire all associated mutexes exclusively.
947    bool TryLock() TRY_ACQUIRE(true) {
948      return locked = mut->TryLock();
949    }
950
951    // Acquire all associated mutexes in shared mode.
952    void ReaderLock() ACQUIRE_SHARED() {
953      mut->ReaderLock();
954      locked = true;
955    }
956
957    // Try to acquire all associated mutexes in shared mode.
958    bool ReaderTryLock() TRY_ACQUIRE_SHARED(true) {
959      return locked = mut->ReaderTryLock();
960    }
961
962    // Release all associated mutexes. Warn on double unlock.
963    void Unlock() RELEASE() {
964      mut->Unlock();
965      locked = false;
966    }
967
968    // Release all associated mutexes. Warn on double unlock.
969    void ReaderUnlock() RELEASE() {
970      mut->ReaderUnlock();
971      locked = false;
972    }
973  };
974
975
976  #ifdef USE_LOCK_STYLE_THREAD_SAFETY_ATTRIBUTES
977  // The original version of thread safety analysis the following attribute
978  // definitions.  These use a lock-based terminology.  They are still in use
979  // by existing thread safety code, and will continue to be supported.
980
981  // Deprecated.
982  #define PT_GUARDED_VAR \
983    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(pt_guarded_var)
984
985  // Deprecated.
986  #define GUARDED_VAR \
987    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(guarded_var)
988
989  // Replaced by REQUIRES
990  #define EXCLUSIVE_LOCKS_REQUIRED(...) \
991    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(exclusive_locks_required(__VA_ARGS__))
992
993  // Replaced by REQUIRES_SHARED
994  #define SHARED_LOCKS_REQUIRED(...) \
995    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(shared_locks_required(__VA_ARGS__))
996
997  // Replaced by CAPABILITY
998  #define LOCKABLE \
999    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(lockable)
1000
1001  // Replaced by SCOPED_CAPABILITY
1002  #define SCOPED_LOCKABLE \
1003    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(scoped_lockable)
1004
1005  // Replaced by ACQUIRE
1006  #define EXCLUSIVE_LOCK_FUNCTION(...) \
1007    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(exclusive_lock_function(__VA_ARGS__))
1008
1009  // Replaced by ACQUIRE_SHARED
1010  #define SHARED_LOCK_FUNCTION(...) \
1011    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(shared_lock_function(__VA_ARGS__))
1012
1013  // Replaced by RELEASE and RELEASE_SHARED
1014  #define UNLOCK_FUNCTION(...) \
1015    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(unlock_function(__VA_ARGS__))
1016
1017  // Replaced by TRY_ACQUIRE
1018  #define EXCLUSIVE_TRYLOCK_FUNCTION(...) \
1019    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(exclusive_trylock_function(__VA_ARGS__))
1020
1021  // Replaced by TRY_ACQUIRE_SHARED
1022  #define SHARED_TRYLOCK_FUNCTION(...) \
1023    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(shared_trylock_function(__VA_ARGS__))
1024
1025  // Replaced by ASSERT_CAPABILITY
1026  #define ASSERT_EXCLUSIVE_LOCK(...) \
1027    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(assert_exclusive_lock(__VA_ARGS__))
1028
1029  // Replaced by ASSERT_SHARED_CAPABILITY
1030  #define ASSERT_SHARED_LOCK(...) \
1031    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(assert_shared_lock(__VA_ARGS__))
1032
1033  // Replaced by EXCLUDE_CAPABILITY.
1034  #define LOCKS_EXCLUDED(...) \
1035    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(locks_excluded(__VA_ARGS__))
1036
1037  // Replaced by RETURN_CAPABILITY
1038  #define LOCK_RETURNED(x) \
1039    THREAD_ANNOTATION_ATTRIBUTE__(lock_returned(x))
1040
1041  #endif  // USE_LOCK_STYLE_THREAD_SAFETY_ATTRIBUTES
1042
1043  #endif  // THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS_MUTEX_H
1044
1045