std::atomic_fetch_sub, std::atomic_fetch_sub_explicit

 

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Atomic types atomic (C++11) atomic_ref (C++20) atomic_flag (C++11) Initialization of atomic types atomic_init (C++11)(deprecated in C++20) ATOMIC_VAR_INIT (C++11)(deprecated in C++20) ATOMIC_FLAG_INIT (C++11) Memory ordering memory_order (C++11) kill_dependency (C++11) atomic_thread_fence (C++11) atomic_signal_fence (C++11) Free functions for atomic operations atomic_storeatomic_store_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_loadatomic_load_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_exchangeatomic_exchange_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_compare_exchange_weakatomic_compare_exchange_weak_explicitatomic_compare_exchange_strongatomic_compare_exchange_strong_explicit (C++11)(C++11)(C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_addatomic_fetch_add_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_subatomic_fetch_sub_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_andatomic_fetch_and_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_oratomic_fetch_or_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_xoratomic_fetch_xor_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_fetch_maxatomic_fetch_max_explicit (C++26)(C++26) atomic_fetch_minatomic_fetch_min_explicit (C++26)(C++26) atomic_is_lock_free (C++11) atomic_waitatomic_wait_explicit (C++20)(C++20) atomic_notify_one (C++20) atomic_notify_all (C++20) Free functions for atomic flags atomic_flag_test_and_setatomic_flag_test_and_set_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_flag_clearatomic_flag_clear_explicit (C++11)(C++11) atomic_flag_testatomic_flag_test_explicit (C++20)(C++20) atomic_flag_waitatomic_flag_wait_explicit (C++20)(C++20) atomic_flag_notify_one (C++20) atomic_flag_notify_all (C++20)

 

Defined in header <atomic>
template< class T > T atomic_fetch_sub( std::atomic<T>* obj,                     typename std::atomic<T>::difference_type arg ) noexcept;	(1)	(since C++11)
template< class T > T atomic_fetch_sub( volatile std::atomic<T>* obj,                     typename std::atomic<T>::difference_type arg ) noexcept;	(2)	(since C++11)
template< class T > T atomic_fetch_sub_explicit( std::atomic<T>* obj,                              typename std::atomic<T>::difference_type arg,                              std::memory_order order ) noexcept;	(3)	(since C++11)
template< class T > T atomic_fetch_sub_explicit( volatile std::atomic<T>* obj,                              typename std::atomic<T>::difference_type arg,                              std::memory_order order ) noexcept;	(4)	(since C++11)

Performs atomic subtraction. Atomically subtracts arg from the value pointed to by obj and returns the value obj held previously. The operation is performed as if the following was executed:

1,2) obj->fetch_sub(arg)

3,4) obj->fetch_sub(arg, order)

If std::atomic<T> has no fetch_sub member (this member is only provided for integral, floating-point(since C++20) and pointer types except bool), the program is ill-formed.

Parameters

obj	-	pointer to the atomic object to modify
arg	-	the value to subtract from the value stored in the atomic object
order	-	the memory synchronization ordering

Return value

The value immediately preceding the effects of this function in the modification order of *obj.

Example

Multiple threads may use std::atomic_fetch_sub to concurrently process an indexed container.

Run this code

#include <atomic>
#include <iostream>
#include <numeric>
#include <string>
#include <thread>
#include <vector>
 
const int N = 50;
std::atomic<int> cnt;
std::vector<int> data(N);
 
void reader(int id) 
{
    for (;;)
    {
        int idx = atomic_fetch_sub_explicit(&cnt, 1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
        if (idx >= 0)
            std::cout << "reader " << std::to_string(id) << " processed item "
                      << std::to_string(data[idx]) << '\n';
        else
        {
            std::cout << "reader " << std::to_string(id) << " done\n";
            break;
        }
    }
}
 
int main()
{
    std::iota(data.begin(), data.end(), 1);
    cnt = data.size() - 1;
 
    std::vector<std::thread> v;
    for (int n = 0; n < 5; ++n)
        v.emplace_back(reader, n);
    for (auto& t : v)
        t.join();
}

Output:

reader 2 processed item 50
reader 1 processed item 44
reader 4 processed item 46
<....>
reader 0 done
reader 4 done
reader 3 done

Defect reports

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

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
P0558R1	C++11	exact type match was required because T was deduced from multiple arguments	T is only deduced from obj

See also

fetch_sub	atomically subtracts the argument from the value stored in the atomic object and obtains the value held previously (public member function of std::atomic<T>)
atomic_fetch_addatomic_fetch_add_explicit (C++11)(C++11)	adds a non-atomic value to an atomic object and obtains the previous value of the atomic (function template)
C documentation for atomic_fetch_sub, atomic_fetch_sub_explicit