std::atomic

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std::atomic
Member functions
(C++20)
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Constants
(C++17)
Specialized member functions
Specialized for integral,
floating-point (C++20)
and pointer types
Specialized for integral and
pointer types only
(C++26)
(C++26)
Specialized for integral types only
 
Defined in header <atomic>
template< class T >
struct atomic;
 (1) (since C++11)
template< class U >
struct atomic<U*>;
 (2) (since C++11)
Defined in header <memory>
template< class U >
struct atomic<std::shared_ptr<U>>;
 (3) (since C++20)
template< class U >
struct atomic<std::weak_ptr<U>>;
 (4) (since C++20)
Defined in header <stdatomic.h>
#define _Atomic(T) /* see below */
 (5) (since C++23)

Each instantiation and full specialization of the std::atomic template defines an atomic type. If one thread writes to an atomic object while another thread reads from it, the behavior is well-defined (see memory model for details on data races).

In addition, accesses to atomic objects may establish inter-thread synchronization and order non-atomic memory accesses as specified by std::memory_order.

std::atomic is neither copyable nor movable.

The compatibility macro _Atomic is provided in <stdatomic.h> such that _Atomic(T) is identical to std::atomic<T> while both are well-formed.

It is unspecified whether any declaration in namespace std is available when <stdatomic.h> is included.

(since C++23)

Specializations

Primary template

The primary std::atomic template may be instantiated with any TriviallyCopyable type T satisfying both CopyConstructible and CopyAssignable. The program is ill-formed if any of following values is false: 

struct Counters { int a; int b; }; // user-defined trivially-copyable type
std::atomic<Counters> cnt;         // specialization for the user-defined type

std::atomic<bool> uses the primary template. It is guaranteed to be a standard layout struct and has a trivial destructor.

Partial specializations

The standard library provides partial specializations of the std::atomic template for the following types with additional properties that the primary template does not have:

2) Partial specializations std::atomic<U*> for all pointer types. These specializations have standard layout, trivial default constructors,(until C++20) and trivial destructors. Besides the operations provided for all atomic types, these specializations additionally support atomic arithmetic operations appropriate to pointer types, such as fetch_add, fetch_sub.
3,4) Partial specializations std::atomic<std::shared_ptr<U>> and std::atomic<std::weak_ptr<U>> are provided for std::shared_ptr and std::weak_ptr.

See std::atomic<std::shared_ptr> and std::atomic<std::weak_ptr> for details.

(since C++20)

Specializations for integral types

When instantiated with one of the following integral types, std::atomic provides additional atomic operations appropriate to integral types such as fetch_add, fetch_sub, fetch_and, fetch_or, fetch_xor:

  • The character types char, char8_t(since C++20), char16_t, char32_t, and wchar_t;
  • The standard signed integer types: signed char, short, int, long, and long long;
  • The standard unsigned integer types: unsigned char, unsigned short, unsigned int, unsigned long, and unsigned long long;
  • Any additional integral types needed by the typedefs in the header <cstdint>.

Additionally, the resulting std::atomic<Integral> specialization has standard layout, a trivial default constructor,(until C++20) and a trivial destructor. Signed integer arithmetic is defined to use two's complement; there are no undefined results.

Specializations for floating-point types

When instantiated with one of the cv-unqualified floating-point types (float, double, long double and cv-unqualified extended floating-point types(since C++23)), std::atomic provides additional atomic operations appropriate to floating-point types such as fetch_add and fetch_sub.

Additionally, the resulting std::atomic<Floating> specialization has standard layout and a trivial destructor.

No operations result in undefined behavior even if the result is not representable in the floating-point type. The floating-point environment in effect may be different from the calling thread's floating-point environment.

(since C++20)

Member types

Member type Definition
value_type T (regardless of whether specialized or not)
difference_type value_type (only for atomic<Integral> and atomic<Floating>(since C++20) specializations)
std::ptrdiff_t (only for std::atomic<U*> specializations)

difference_type is not defined in the primary std::atomic template or in the partial specializations for std::shared_ptr and std::weak_ptr.

Member functions

 constructs an atomic object
(public member function)
stores a value into an atomic object
(public member function)
checks if the atomic object is lock-free
(public member function)
atomically replaces the value of the atomic object with a non-atomic argument
(public member function)
atomically obtains the value of the atomic object
(public member function)
loads a value from an atomic object
(public member function)
atomically replaces the value of the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
atomically compares the value of the atomic object with non-atomic argument and performs atomic exchange if equal or atomic load if not
(public member function)
(C++20)
 blocks the thread until notified and the atomic value changes
(public member function)
(C++20)
 notifies at least one thread waiting on the atomic object
(public member function)
(C++20)
 notifies all threads blocked waiting on the atomic object
(public member function)

Constants

[static] (C++17)
 indicates that the type is always lock-free
(public static member constant)

Specialized member functions

Specialized for integral, floating-point(since C++20) and pointer types
atomically adds the argument to the value stored in the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
atomically subtracts the argument from the value stored in the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
adds to or subtracts from the atomic value
(public member function)
Specialized for integral and pointer types only
(C++26)
 atomically performs std::max between the argument and the value of the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
(C++26)
 atomically performs std::min between the argument and the value of the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
increments or decrements the atomic value by one
(public member function)
Specialized for integral types only
atomically performs bitwise AND between the argument and the value of the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
atomically performs bitwise OR between the argument and the value of the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
atomically performs bitwise XOR between the argument and the value of the atomic object and obtains the value held previously
(public member function)
performs bitwise AND, OR, XOR with the atomic value
(public member function)

Type aliases

Type aliases are provided for bool and all integral types listed above, as follows:

Aliases for all std::atomic<Integral>
atomic_bool
(C++11)
 std::atomic<bool>
(typedef)
atomic_char
(C++11)
 std::atomic<char>
(typedef)
atomic_schar
(C++11)
 std::atomic<signed char>
(typedef)
atomic_uchar
(C++11)
 std::atomic<unsigned char>
(typedef)
atomic_short
(C++11)
 std::atomic<short>
(typedef)
atomic_ushort
(C++11)
 std::atomic<unsigned short>
(typedef)
atomic_int
(C++11)
 std::atomic<int>
(typedef)
atomic_uint
(C++11)
 std::atomic<unsigned int>
(typedef)
atomic_long
(C++11)
 std::atomic<long>
(typedef)
atomic_ulong
(C++11)
 std::atomic<unsigned long>
(typedef)
atomic_llong
(C++11)
 std::atomic<long long>
(typedef)
atomic_ullong
(C++11)
 std::atomic<unsigned long long>
(typedef)
atomic_char8_t
(C++20)
 std::atomic<char8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_char16_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<char16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_char32_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<char32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_wchar_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<wchar_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int8_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::int8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint8_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::uint8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int16_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::int16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint16_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::uint16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int32_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::int32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint32_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::uint32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int64_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::int64_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint64_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::uint64_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_least8_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_least8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_least8_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_least8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_least16_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_least16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_least16_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_least16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_least32_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_least32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_least32_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_least32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_least64_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_least64_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_least64_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_least64_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_fast8_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_fast8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_fast8_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_fast8_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_fast16_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_fast16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_fast16_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_fast16_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_fast32_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_fast32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_fast32_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_fast32_t>
(typedef)
atomic_int_fast64_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::int_fast64_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uint_fast64_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uint_fast64_t>
(typedef)
atomic_intptr_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::intptr_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uintptr_t
(C++11)(optional)
 std::atomic<std::uintptr_t>
(typedef)
atomic_size_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::size_t>
(typedef)
atomic_ptrdiff_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::ptrdiff_t>
(typedef)
atomic_intmax_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::intmax_t>
(typedef)
atomic_uintmax_t
(C++11)
 std::atomic<std::uintmax_t>
(typedef)
Aliases for special-purpose types
atomic_signed_lock_free
(C++20)
 a signed integral atomic type that is lock-free and for which waiting/notifying is most efficient
(typedef)
atomic_unsigned_lock_free
(C++20)
 an unsigned integral atomic type that is lock-free and for which waiting/notifying is most efficient
(typedef)
Note: std::atomic_intN_t, std::atomic_uintN_t, std::atomic_intptr_t, and std::atomic_uintptr_t are defined if and only if std::intN_t, std::uintN_t, std::intptr_t, and std::uintptr_t are defined, respectively.

std::atomic_signed_lock_free and std::atomic_unsigned_lock_free are optional in freestanding implementations.

(since C++20)

Notes

There are non-member function template equivalents for all member functions of std::atomic. Those non-member functions may be additionally overloaded for types that are not specializations of std::atomic, but are able to guarantee atomicity. The only such type in the standard library is std::shared_ptr<U>.

_Atomic is a keyword and used to provide atomic types in C.

Implementations are recommended to ensure that the representation of _Atomic(T) in C is same as that of std::atomic<T> in C++ for every possible type T. The mechanisms used to ensure atomicity and memory ordering should be compatible.

On gcc and clang, some of the functionality described here requires linking against -latomic.

Example

Run this code
#include <atomic>
#include <iostream>
#include <thread>
#include <vector>
 
std::atomic_int acnt;
int cnt;
 
void f()
{
    for (int n = 0; n < 10000; ++n)
    {
        ++acnt;
        ++cnt;
        // Note: for this example, relaxed memory order
        // is sufficient, e.g. acnt.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
    }
}
 
int main()
{
    {
        std::vector<std::jthread> pool;
        for (int n = 0; n < 10; ++n)
            pool.emplace_back(f);
    }
 
    std::cout << "The atomic counter is " << acnt << '\n'
              << "The non-atomic counter is " << cnt << '\n';
}

Possible output: 

The atomic counter is 100000
The non-atomic counter is 69696

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR Applied to Behavior as published Correct behavior
LWG 2441 C++11 typedefs for atomic versions of optional
fixed width integer types were missing 		added
LWG 3012 C++11 std::atomic<T> was permitted for any T
that is trivially copyable but not copyable 		such specializations are forbidden
LWG 3949 C++17 the wording requiring std::atomic<bool> to have a
trivial destructor was accidently dropped in C++17 		added back
P0558R1 C++11 template argument deduction for some
functions for atomic types might accidently
fail; invalid pointer operations were provided 		specification was substantially rewritten:
member typedefs value_type
and difference_type are added

See also

(C++11)
 the lock-free boolean atomic type
(class)
(C++20)
 atomic shared pointer
(class template specialization)
(C++20)
 atomic weak pointer
(class template specialization)
C documentation for Atomic types
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