std::atomic_is_lock_free, ATOMIC_xxx_LOCK_FREE

Header: <atomic>

1,2) Determines if the atomic object pointed to by obj is implemented lock-free, as if by calling obj->is_lock_free(). In any given program execution, the result of the lock-free query is the same for all atomic objects of the same type.

# Declarations

template< class T >
bool atomic_is_lock_free( const volatile std::atomic<T>* obj ) noexcept;

(since C++11)

template< class T >
bool atomic_is_lock_free( const std::atomic<T>* obj ) noexcept;

(since C++11)

#define ATOMIC_BOOL_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_CHAR_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_CHAR16_T_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_CHAR32_T_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_WCHAR_T_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_SHORT_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_INT_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_LONG_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_LLONG_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */
#define ATOMIC_POINTER_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */

(since C++11)

#define ATOMIC_CHAR8_T_LOCK_FREE /* unspecified */

(since C++20)

# Parameters

# Return value

true if *obj is a lock-free atomic, false otherwise.

# Notes

All atomic types except for std::atomic_flag may be implemented using mutexes or other locking operations, rather than using the lock-free atomic CPU instructions. Atomic types are also allowed to be sometimes lock-free: for example, if only some subarchitectures support lock-free atomic access for a given type (such as the CMPXCHG16B instruction on x86-64), whether atomics are lock-free may not be known until runtime.

The C++ standard recommends (but does not require) that lock-free atomic operations are also address-free, that is, suitable for communication between processes using shared memory.

# Example

#include <atomic>
#include <iostream>
#include <utility>
 
struct A { int a[100]; };
struct B { int x, y; };
 
int main()
{
    std::atomic<A> a;
    std::atomic<B> b;
    std::cout << std::boolalpha
              << "std::atomic<A> is lock free? "
              << std::atomic_is_lock_free(&a) << '\n'
              << "std::atomic<B> is lock free? "
              << std::atomic_is_lock_free(&b) << '\n';
}

# Defect reports

DRApplied toBehavior as publishedCorrect behavior
LWG 3249C++11atomic_is_lock_free was specified via pointers, whichwas ambiguous and might accept invalid pointer valuesspecified viaatomic objects

# See also