The following example shows how to synchronize concurrent tasks with a System.Threading.Barrier.
Example
The purpose of the following program is to count how many iterations (or phases) are required for two threads to each find their half of the solution on the same phase by using a randomizing algorithm to reshuffle the words. After each thread has shuffled its words, the barrier post-phase operation compares the two results to see if the complete sentence has been rendered in correct word order.
sample · csharpsamples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Misc/cds_barrier/cs/barrier.cs01
//<snippet01>
//#define TRACE
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
namespace BarrierSimple
{
class Program
{
static string[] words1 = new string[] { "brown", "jumps", "the", "fox", "quick"};
static string[] words2 = new string[] { "dog", "lazy","the","over"};
static string solution = "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.";
static bool success = false;
static Barrier barrier = new Barrier(2, (b) =>
{
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
for (int i = 0; i < words1.Length; i++)
{
sb.Append(words1[i]);
sb.Append(" ");
}
for (int i = 0; i < words2.Length; i++)
{
sb.Append(words2[i]);
if(i < words2.Length - 1)
sb.Append(" ");
}
sb.Append(".");
#if TRACE
System.Diagnostics.Trace.WriteLine(sb.ToString());
#endif
Console.CursorLeft = 0;
Console.Write("Current phase: {0}", barrier.CurrentPhaseNumber);
if (String.CompareOrdinal(solution, sb.ToString()) == 0)
{
success = true;
Console.WriteLine($"\r\nThe solution was found in {barrier.CurrentPhaseNumber} attempts");
}
});
static void Main(string[] args)
{
Thread t1 = new Thread(() => Solve(words1));
Thread t2 = new Thread(() => Solve(words2));
t1.Start();
t2.Start();
// Keep the console window open.
Console.ReadLine();
}
// Use Knuth-Fisher-Yates shuffle to randomly reorder each array.
// For simplicity, we require that both wordArrays be solved in the same phase.
// Success of right or left side only is not stored and does not count.
static void Solve(string[] wordArray)
{
while(success == false)
{
Random random = new Random();
for (int i = wordArray.Length - 1; i > 0; i--)
{
int swapIndex = random.Next(i + 1);
string temp = wordArray[i];
wordArray[i] = wordArray[swapIndex];
wordArray[swapIndex] = temp;
}
// We need to stop here to examine results
// of all thread activity. This is done in the post-phase
// delegate that is defined in the Barrier constructor.
barrier.SignalAndWait();
}
}
}
}
//</snippet01>
class BarrierDemo
{
static byte[][] data = new byte[10][];
static byte[][] results = new byte[10][];
static bool success = false;
static bool someCondition = false;
//<snippet02>
// Create the Barrier object, and supply a post-phase delegate
// to be invoked at the end of each phase.
Barrier barrier = new Barrier(2, (bar) =>
{
// Examine results from all threads, determine
// whether to continue, create inputs for next phase, etc.
if (someCondition)
success = true;
});
// Define the work that each thread will perform. (Threads do not
// have to all execute the same method.)
void CrunchNumbers(int partitionNum)
{
// Up to System.Int64.MaxValue phases are supported. We assume
// in this code that the problem will be solved before that.
while (success == false)
{
// Begin phase:
// Process data here on each thread, and optionally
// store results, for example:
results[partitionNum] = ProcessData(data[partitionNum]);
// End phase:
// After all threads arrive,post-phase delegate
// is invoked, then threads are unblocked. Overloads
// accept a timeout value and/or CancellationToken.
barrier.SignalAndWait();
}
}
// Perform n tasks to run in parallel. For simplicity
// all threads execute the same method in this example.
static void Main()
{
var app = new BarrierDemo();
Thread t1 = new Thread(() => app.CrunchNumbers(0));
Thread t2 = new Thread(() => app.CrunchNumbers(1));
t1.Start();
t2.Start();
}
//</snippet02>
byte[] ProcessData(byte[] input)
{ return new byte[2]; }
}sample · vbsamples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Misc/cds_barrier/vb/barrier_vb.vb01
'<snippet01>
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Class Program
Shared words1() = New String() {"brown", "jumps", "the", "fox", "quick"}
Shared words2() = New String() {"dog", "lazy", "the", "over"}
Shared solution = "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
Shared success = False
Shared barrier = New Barrier(2, Sub(b)
Dim sb = New StringBuilder()
For i As Integer = 0 To words1.Length - 1
sb.Append(words1(i))
sb.Append(" ")
Next
For i As Integer = 0 To words2.Length - 1
sb.Append(words2(i))
If (i < words2.Length - 1) Then
sb.Append(" ")
End If
Next
sb.Append(".")
System.Diagnostics.Trace.WriteLine(sb.ToString())
Console.CursorLeft = 0
Console.Write("Current phase: {0}", barrier.CurrentPhaseNumber)
If (String.CompareOrdinal(solution, sb.ToString()) = 0) Then
success = True
Console.WriteLine()
Console.WriteLine("The solution was found in {0} attempts", barrier.CurrentPhaseNumber)
End If
End Sub)
Shared Sub Main()
Dim t1 = New Thread(Sub() Solve(words1))
Dim t2 = New Thread(Sub() Solve(words2))
t1.Start()
t2.Start()
' Keep the console window open.
Console.ReadLine()
End Sub
' Use Knuth-Fisher-Yates shuffle to randomly reorder each array.
' For simplicity, we require that both wordArrays be solved in the same phase.
' Success of right or left side only is not stored and does not count.
Shared Sub Solve(ByVal wordArray As String())
While success = False
Dim rand = New Random()
For i As Integer = 0 To wordArray.Length - 1
Dim swapIndex As Integer = rand.Next(i + 1)
Dim temp As String = wordArray(i)
wordArray(i) = wordArray(swapIndex)
wordArray(swapIndex) = temp
Next
' We need to stop here to examine results
' of all thread activity. This is done in the post-phase
' delegate that is defined in the Barrier constructor.
barrier.SignalAndWait()
End While
End Sub
End Class
'</snippet01>
Class BarrierDemo
Friend success As Boolean
Friend someCondition As Boolean
Dim results() As Byte
Dim myData()() As Byte
Function ProcessData(ByVal d As Byte())
Return New Byte()
End Function
'<snippet02>
' Create the Barrier object, and supply a post-phase delegate
' to be invoked at the end of each phase.
Dim barrier = New Barrier(2, Sub(bar)
' Examine results from all threads, determine
' whether to continue, create inputs for next phase, etc.
If (someCondition) Then
success = True
End If
End Sub)
' Define the work that each thread will perform. (Threads do not
' have to all execute the same method.)
Sub CrunchNumbers(ByVal partitionNum As Integer)
' Up to System.Int64.MaxValue phases are supported. We assume
' in this code that the problem will be solved before that.
While (success = False)
' Begin phase:
' Process data here on each thread, and optionally
' store results, for example:
results(partitionNum) = ProcessData(myData(partitionNum))
' End phase:
' After all threads arrive,post-phase delegate
' is invoked, then threads are unblocked. Overloads
' accept a timeout value and/or CancellationToken.
barrier.SignalAndWait()
End While
End Sub
' Perform n tasks to run in parallel. For simplicity
' all threads execute the same method in this example.
Shared Sub Main()
Dim app = New BarrierDemo()
Dim t1 = New Thread(Sub() app.CrunchNumbers(0))
Dim t2 = New Thread(Sub() app.CrunchNumbers(1))
t1.Start()
t2.Start()
End Sub
'</snippet02>
End ClassA System.Threading.Barrier is an object that prevents individual tasks in a parallel operation from continuing until all tasks reach the barrier. It is useful when a parallel operation occurs in phases, and each phase requires synchronization between tasks. In this example, there are two phases to the operation. In the first phase, each task fills its section of the buffer with data. When each task finishes filling its section, the task signals the barrier that it is ready to continue, and then waits. When all tasks have signaled the barrier, they are unblocked and the second phase starts. The barrier is necessary because the second phase requires that each task have access to all the data that has been generated to this point. Without the barrier, the first tasks to complete might try to read from buffers that have not been filled in yet by other tasks. You can synchronize any number of phases in this manner.