Thread.AllocateDataSlot Method (System.Threading)

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.NET Framework Class Library
Thread.AllocateDataSlot Method

Allocates an unnamed data slot on all the threads. For better performance, use fields that are marked with the ThreadStaticAttribute attribute instead.

Namespace:  System.Threading
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Syntax
Visual Basic
<HostProtectionAttribute(SecurityAction.LinkDemand, SharedState := True, ExternalThreading := True)> _
Public Shared Function AllocateDataSlot As LocalDataStoreSlot
C#
[HostProtectionAttribute(SecurityAction.LinkDemand, SharedState = true, ExternalThreading = true)]
public static LocalDataStoreSlot AllocateDataSlot()
Visual C++
[HostProtectionAttribute(SecurityAction::LinkDemand, SharedState = true, ExternalThreading = true)]
public:
static LocalDataStoreSlot^ AllocateDataSlot()
F#
[<HostProtectionAttribute(SecurityAction.LinkDemand, SharedState = true, ExternalThreading = true)>]
static member AllocateDataSlot : unit -> LocalDataStoreSlot
Remarks
Important note Important

The .NET Framework provides two mechanisms for using thread local storage (TLS): thread-relative static fields (that is, fields that are marked with the ThreadStaticAttribute attribute) and data slots. Thread-relative static fields provide much better performance than data slots, and enable compile-time type checking. For more information about using TLS, see Thread Local Storage: Thread-Relative Static Fields and Data Slots.

The slot is allocated on all threads.

Threads use a local store memory mechanism to store thread-specific data. The common language runtime allocates a multi-slot data store array to each process when it is created. The thread can allocate a data slot in the data store, store and retrieve a data value in the slot, and free the slot for reuse after the thread expires. Data slots are unique per thread. No other thread (not even a child thread) can get that data.

Note Note

The HostProtectionAttribute attribute applied to this type or member has the following Resources property value: SharedState | ExternalThreading. The HostProtectionAttribute does not affect desktop applications (which are typically started by double-clicking an icon, typing a command, or entering a URL in a browser). For more information, see the HostProtectionAttribute class or SQL Server Programming and Host Protection Attributes.
Examples

This section contains two code examples. The first example shows how to use a field that is marked with the ThreadStaticAttribute attribute to hold thread-specific information. The second example shows how to use a data slot to do the same thing.

First Example

The following example shows how to use a field that is marked with ThreadStaticAttribute to hold thread-specific information. This technique provides better performance than the technique that is shown in the second example.

Visual Basic

Imports System
Imports System.Threading

Class Test

    <MTAThread> _
    Shared Sub Main()

        For i As Integer = 1 To 3
            Dim newThread As New Thread(AddressOf ThreadData.ThreadStaticDemo)
            newThread.Start()
        Next i

    End Sub

End Class

Class ThreadData

    <ThreadStaticAttribute> _
    Shared threadSpecificData As Integer

    Shared Sub ThreadStaticDemo()

        ' Store the managed thread id for each thread in the static
        ' variable.
        threadSpecificData = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId

        ' Allow other threads time to execute the same code, to show
        ' that the static data is unique to each thread.
        Thread.Sleep( 1000 )

        ' Display the static data.
        Console.WriteLine( "Data for managed thread {0}: {1}", _
            Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId, threadSpecificData )

    End Sub

End Class

' This code example produces output similar to the following:
'
'Data for managed thread 4: 4
'Data for managed thread 5: 5
'Data for managed thread 3: 3
C#

using System;
using System.Threading;

class Test
{
    static void Main()
    {
        for(int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
        {
            Thread newThread = new Thread(ThreadData.ThreadStaticDemo);
            newThread.Start();
        }
    }
}

class ThreadData
{
    [ThreadStaticAttribute]
    static int threadSpecificData;

    public static void ThreadStaticDemo()
    {
        // Store the managed thread id for each thread in the static
        // variable.
        threadSpecificData = Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId;

        // Allow other threads time to execute the same code, to show
        // that the static data is unique to each thread.
        Thread.Sleep( 1000 );

        // Display the static data.
        Console.WriteLine( "Data for managed thread {0}: {1}", 
            Thread.CurrentThread.ManagedThreadId, threadSpecificData );
    }
}

/* This code example produces output similar to the following:

Data for managed thread 4: 4
Data for managed thread 5: 5
Data for managed thread 3: 3
 */
Visual C++

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;

ref class ThreadData
{
private:
   [ThreadStaticAttribute]
   static int threadSpecificData;

public:
   static void ThreadStaticDemo()
   {
      // Store the managed thread id for each thread in the static
      // variable.
      threadSpecificData = Thread::CurrentThread->ManagedThreadId;

      // Allow other threads time to execute the same code, to show
      // that the static data is unique to each thread.
      Thread::Sleep( 1000 );

      // Display the static data.
      Console::WriteLine( "Data for managed thread {0}: {1}", 
         Thread::CurrentThread->ManagedThreadId, threadSpecificData );
   }
};

int main()
{
   for ( int i = 0; i < 3; i++ )
   {
      Thread^ newThread = 
          gcnew Thread( gcnew ThreadStart( ThreadData::ThreadStaticDemo )); 
      newThread->Start();
   }
}

/* This code example produces output similar to the following:

Data for managed thread 4: 4
Data for managed thread 5: 5
Data for managed thread 3: 3
 */

Second Example

The following code example demonstrates how to use a data slot to store thread-specific information.

Visual Basic

Imports System
Imports System.Threading

Class Test

    <MTAThread> _
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim newThreads(3) As Thread
        For i As Integer = 0 To newThreads.Length - 1
            newThreads(i) = New Thread(AddressOf Slot.SlotTest)
            newThreads(i).Start()
        Next i
    End Sub

End Class

Public Class Slot

    Shared randomGenerator As Random
    Shared localSlot As LocalDataStoreSlot

    Shared Sub New()
        randomGenerator = new Random()
        localSlot = Thread.AllocateDataSlot()
    End Sub

    Shared Sub SlotTest()

        ' Set different data in each thread's data slot.
        Thread.SetData(localSlot, randomGenerator.Next(1, 200))

        ' Write the data from each thread's data slot.
        Console.WriteLine("Data in thread_{0}'s data slot: {1,3}", _
            AppDomain.GetCurrentThreadId().ToString(), _
            Thread.GetData(localSlot).ToString())

        ' Allow other threads time to execute SetData to show
        ' that a thread's data slot is unique to the thread.
        Thread.Sleep(1000)

        ' Write the data from each thread's data slot.
        Console.WriteLine("Data in thread_{0}'s data slot: {1,3}", _
            AppDomain.GetCurrentThreadId().ToString(), _
            Thread.GetData(localSlot).ToString())
    End Sub

End Class
C#

using System;
using System.Threading;

class Test
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Thread[] newThreads = new Thread[4];
        for(int i = 0; i < newThreads.Length; i++)
        {
            newThreads[i] = new Thread(
                new ThreadStart(Slot.SlotTest));
            newThreads[i].Start();
        }
    }
}

class Slot
{
    static Random randomGenerator;
    static LocalDataStoreSlot localSlot;

    static Slot()
    {
        randomGenerator = new Random();
        localSlot = Thread.AllocateDataSlot();
    }

    public static void SlotTest()
    {
        // Set different data in each thread's data slot.
        Thread.SetData(localSlot, randomGenerator.Next(1, 200));

        // Write the data from each thread's data slot.
        Console.WriteLine("Data in thread_{0}'s data slot: {1,3}", 
            AppDomain.GetCurrentThreadId().ToString(),
            Thread.GetData(localSlot).ToString());

        // Allow other threads time to execute SetData to show
        // that a thread's data slot is unique to the thread.
        Thread.Sleep(1000);

        Console.WriteLine("Data in thread_{0}'s data slot: {1,3}", 
            AppDomain.GetCurrentThreadId().ToString(),
            Thread.GetData(localSlot).ToString());
    }
}
Visual C++

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Threading;
ref class Slot
{
private:
   static Random^ randomGenerator;
   static LocalDataStoreSlot^ localSlot;
   static Slot()
   {
      randomGenerator = gcnew Random;
      localSlot = Thread::AllocateDataSlot();
   }


public:
   static void SlotTest()
   {

      // Set different data in each thread's data slot.
      Thread::SetData( localSlot, randomGenerator->Next( 1, 200 ) );

      // Write the data from each thread's data slot.
      Console::WriteLine( "Data in thread_{0}'s data slot: {1,3}", AppDomain::GetCurrentThreadId().ToString(), Thread::GetData( localSlot )->ToString() );

      // Allow other threads time to execute SetData to show
      // that a thread's data slot is unique to the thread.
      Thread::Sleep( 1000 );
      Console::WriteLine( "Data in thread_{0}'s data slot: {1,3}", AppDomain::GetCurrentThreadId().ToString(), Thread::GetData( localSlot )->ToString() );
   }

};

int main()
{
   array<Thread^>^newThreads = gcnew array<Thread^>(4);
   for ( int i = 0; i < newThreads->Length; i++ )
   {
      newThreads[ i ] = gcnew Thread( gcnew ThreadStart( &Slot::SlotTest ) );
      newThreads[ i ]->Start();

   }
}
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
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.
See Also

Reference

Thread Class
System.Threading Namespace

Other Resources

Threads and Threading
Thread Local Storage: Thread-Relative Static Fields and Data Slots