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)

public:
[HostProtectionAttribute(SecurityAction::LinkDemand, SharedState = true, 
	ExternalThreading = true)]
static LocalDataStoreSlot^ AllocateDataSlot()

Return Value

Type: System::LocalDataStoreSlot^

The allocated named data slot on all threads.

System_CAPS_importantImportant

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.

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.

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.

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();

   }
}

.NET Framework
Available since 1.1
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