Interlocked.CompareExchange Method (Int32, Int32, Int32) (System.Threading)

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.NET Framework Class Library

Interlocked.CompareExchange Method (Int32%, Int32, Int32)

Compares two 32-bit signed integers for equality and, if they are equal, replaces one of the values.

Namespace: System.Threading
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic

Public Shared Function CompareExchange ( _
	ByRef location1 As Integer, _
	value As Integer, _
	comparand As Integer _
) As Integer

public static int CompareExchange(
	ref int location1,
	int value,
	int comparand
)

Visual C++

public:
static int CompareExchange(
	int% location1, 
	int value, 
	int comparand
)

static member CompareExchange : 
        location1:int byref * 
        value:int * 
        comparand:int -> int

Parameters

location1: Type: System.Int32%
The destination, whose value is compared with comparand and possibly replaced.

value: Type: System.Int32
The value that replaces the destination value if the comparison results in equality.

comparand: Type: System.Int32
The value that is compared to the value at location1.

Return Value

Type: System.Int32
The original value in location1.

Exceptions

Exception	Condition
NullReferenceException	The address of location1 is a null pointer.

Remarks

If comparand and the value in location1 are equal, then value is stored in location1. Otherwise, no operation is performed. The compare and exchange operations are performed as an atomic operation. The return value of CompareExchange is the original value in location1, whether or not the exchange takes place.

Examples

The following code example demonstrates a thread-safe method that accumulates a running total. The initial value of the running total is saved, and then the CompareExchange method is used to exchange the newly computed total with the old total. If the return value is not equal to the saved value of the running total, then another thread has updated the total in the meantime. In that case, the attempt to update the running total must be repeated.

Note
The Add method, introduced in version 2.0 of the .NET Framework, provides a more convenient way to accumulate thread-safe running totals for integers.

Visual Basic


' This example demonstrates a thread-safe method that adds to a
' running total.  It cannot be run directly.  You can compile it
' as a library, or add the class to a project.
Imports System.Threading

Public Class ThreadSafe
    ' Field totalValue contains a running total that can be updated
    ' by multiple threads. It must be protected from unsynchronized 
    ' access.
    Private totalValue As Integer = 0

    ' The Total property returns the running total.
    Public ReadOnly Property Total As Integer
        Get
            Return totalValue
        End Get
    End Property

    ' AddToTotal safely adds a value to the running total.
    Public Function AddToTotal(ByVal addend As Integer) As Integer
        Dim initialValue, computedValue As Integer
        Do
            ' Save the current running total in a local variable.
            initialValue = totalValue

            ' Add the new value to the running total.
            computedValue = initialValue + addend

            ' CompareExchange compares totalValue to initialValue. If
            ' they are not equal, then another thread has updated the
            ' running total since this loop started. CompareExchange
            ' does not update totalValue. CompareExchange returns the
            ' contents of totalValue, which do not equal initialValue,
            ' so the loop executes again.
        Loop While initialValue <> Interlocked.CompareExchange( _
            totalValue, computedValue, initialValue)
        ' If no other thread updated the running total, then 
        ' totalValue and initialValue are equal when CompareExchange
        ' compares them, and computedValue is stored in totalValue.
        ' CompareExchange returns the value that was in totalValue
        ' before the update, which is equal to initialValue, so the 
        ' loop ends.

        ' The function returns computedValue, not totalValue, because
        ' totalValue could be changed by another thread between
        ' the time the loop ends and the function returns.
        Return computedValue
    End Function
End Class


// This example demonstrates a thread-safe method that adds to a
// running total.  It cannot be run directly.  You can compile it
// as a library, or add the class to a project.
using System.Threading;

public class ThreadSafe {
    // totalValue contains a running total that can be updated
    // by multiple threads. It must be protected from unsynchronized 
    // access.
    private int totalValue = 0;

    // The Total property returns the running total.
    public int Total {
        get { return totalValue; }
    }

    // AddToTotal safely adds a value to the running total.
    public int AddToTotal(int addend) {
        int initialValue, computedValue;
        do {
            // Save the current running total in a local variable.
            initialValue = totalValue;

            // Add the new value to the running total.
            computedValue = initialValue + addend;

            // CompareExchange compares totalValue to initialValue. If
            // they are not equal, then another thread has updated the
            // running total since this loop started. CompareExchange
            // does not update totalValue. CompareExchange returns the
            // contents of totalValue, which do not equal initialValue,
            // so the loop executes again.
        } while (initialValue != Interlocked.CompareExchange(
            ref totalValue, computedValue, initialValue));
        // If no other thread updated the running total, then 
        // totalValue and initialValue are equal when CompareExchange
        // compares them, and computedValue is stored in totalValue.
        // CompareExchange returns the value that was in totalValue
        // before the update, which is equal to initialValue, so the 
        // loop ends.

        // The function returns computedValue, not totalValue, because
        // totalValue could be changed by another thread between
        // the time the loop ends and the function returns.
        return computedValue;
    }
}

Visual C++


// This example demonstrates a thread-safe method that adds to a
// running total.  It cannot be run directly.  You can compile it
// as a library, or add the class to a project.
#using <system.dll>

using namespace System::Threading;
public ref class ThreadSafe
{
private:

   // totalValue contains a running total that can be updated
   // by multiple threads. It must be protected from unsynchronized 
   // access.
   int totalValue;

public:

   property int Total 
   {

      // The Total property returns the running total.
      int get()
      {
         return totalValue;
      }

   }

   // AddToTotal safely adds a value to the running total.
   int AddToTotal( int addend )
   {
      int initialValue;
      int computedValue;
      do
      {

         // Save the current running total in a local variable.
         initialValue = totalValue;

         // Add the new value to the running total.
         computedValue = initialValue + addend;

         // CompareExchange compares totalValue to initialValue. If
         // they are not equal, then another thread has updated the
         // running total since this loop started. CompareExchange
         // does not update totalValue. CompareExchange returns the
         // contents of totalValue, which do not equal initialValue,
         // so the loop executes again.
      }
      while ( initialValue != Interlocked::CompareExchange( totalValue, computedValue, initialValue ) );


      // If no other thread updated the running total, then 
      // totalValue and initialValue are equal when CompareExchange
      // compares them, and computedValue is stored in totalValue.
      // CompareExchange returns the value that was in totalValue
      // before the update, which is equal to initialValue, so the 
      // loop ends.
      // The function returns computedValue, not totalValue, because
      // totalValue could be changed by another thread between
      // the time the loop ends and the function returns.
      return computedValue;
   }

};

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

Portable Class Library

Supported in: Portable Class Library

Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Reference

Interlocked Class

CompareExchange Overload

System.Threading Namespace

Other Resources

Managed Threading

Interlocked Operations