| <!--{ |
| "Title": "The Go Memory Model", |
| "Subtitle": "Version of March 6, 2012", |
| "Path": "/ref/mem" |
| }--> |
| |
| <style> |
| p.rule { |
| font-style: italic; |
| } |
| span.event { |
| font-style: italic; |
| } |
| </style> |
| |
| <h2>Introduction</h2> |
| |
| <p> |
| The Go memory model specifies the conditions under which |
| reads of a variable in one goroutine can be guaranteed to |
| observe values produced by writes to the same variable in a different goroutine. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h2>Happens Before</h2> |
| |
| <p> |
| Within a single goroutine, reads and writes must behave |
| as if they executed in the order specified by the program. |
| That is, compilers and processors may reorder the reads and writes |
| executed within a single goroutine only when the reordering |
| does not change the behavior within that goroutine |
| as defined by the language specification. |
| Because of this reordering, the execution order observed |
| by one goroutine may differ from the order perceived |
| by another. For example, if one goroutine |
| executes <code>a = 1; b = 2;</code>, another might observe |
| the updated value of <code>b</code> before the updated value of <code>a</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| To specify the requirements of reads and writes, we define |
| <i>happens before</i>, a partial order on the execution |
| of memory operations in a Go program. If event <span class="event">e<sub>1</sub></span> happens |
| before event <span class="event">e<sub>2</sub></span>, then we say that <span class="event">e<sub>2</sub></span> happens after <span class="event">e<sub>1</sub></span>. |
| Also, if <span class="event">e<sub>1</sub></span> does not happen before <span class="event">e<sub>2</sub></span> and does not happen |
| after <span class="event">e<sub>2</sub></span>, then we say that <span class="event">e<sub>1</sub></span> and <span class="event">e<sub>2</sub></span> happen concurrently. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| Within a single goroutine, the happens-before order is the |
| order expressed by the program. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| A read <span class="event">r</span> of a variable <code>v</code> is <i>allowed</i> to observe a write <span class="event">w</span> to <code>v</code> |
| if both of the following hold: |
| </p> |
| |
| <ol> |
| <li><span class="event">r</span> does not happen before <span class="event">w</span>.</li> |
| <li>There is no other write <span class="event">w'</span> to <code>v</code> that happens |
| after <span class="event">w</span> but before <span class="event">r</span>.</li> |
| </ol> |
| |
| <p> |
| To guarantee that a read <span class="event">r</span> of a variable <code>v</code> observes a |
| particular write <span class="event">w</span> to <code>v</code>, ensure that <span class="event">w</span> is the only |
| write <span class="event">r</span> is allowed to observe. |
| That is, <span class="event">r</span> is <i>guaranteed</i> to observe <span class="event">w</span> if both of the following hold: |
| </p> |
| |
| <ol> |
| <li><span class="event">w</span> happens before <span class="event">r</span>.</li> |
| <li>Any other write to the shared variable <code>v</code> |
| either happens before <span class="event">w</span> or after <span class="event">r</span>.</li> |
| </ol> |
| |
| <p> |
| This pair of conditions is stronger than the first pair; |
| it requires that there are no other writes happening |
| concurrently with <span class="event">w</span> or <span class="event">r</span>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| Within a single goroutine, |
| there is no concurrency, so the two definitions are equivalent: |
| a read <span class="event">r</span> observes the value written by the most recent write <span class="event">w</span> to <code>v</code>. |
| When multiple goroutines access a shared variable <code>v</code>, |
| they must use synchronization events to establish |
| happens-before conditions that ensure reads observe the |
| desired writes. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| The initialization of variable <code>v</code> with the zero value |
| for <code>v</code>'s type behaves as a write in the memory model. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| Reads and writes of values larger than a single machine word |
| behave as multiple machine-word-sized operations in an |
| unspecified order. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h2>Synchronization</h2> |
| |
| <h3>Initialization</h3> |
| |
| <p> |
| Program initialization runs in a single goroutine, |
| but that goroutine may create other goroutines, |
| which run concurrently. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| If a package <code>p</code> imports package <code>q</code>, the completion of |
| <code>q</code>'s <code>init</code> functions happens before the start of any of <code>p</code>'s. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| The start of the function <code>main.main</code> happens after |
| all <code>init</code> functions have finished. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h3>Goroutine creation</h3> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| The <code>go</code> statement that starts a new goroutine |
| happens before the goroutine's execution begins. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| For example, in this program: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var a string |
| |
| func f() { |
| print(a) |
| } |
| |
| func hello() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| go f() |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| calling <code>hello</code> will print <code>"hello, world"</code> |
| at some point in the future (perhaps after <code>hello</code> has returned). |
| </p> |
| |
| <h3>Goroutine destruction</h3> |
| |
| <p> |
| The exit of a goroutine is not guaranteed to happen before |
| any event in the program. For example, in this program: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var a string |
| |
| func hello() { |
| go func() { a = "hello" }() |
| print(a) |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| the assignment to <code>a</code> is not followed by |
| any synchronization event, so it is not guaranteed to be |
| observed by any other goroutine. |
| In fact, an aggressive compiler might delete the entire <code>go</code> statement. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| If the effects of a goroutine must be observed by another goroutine, |
| use a synchronization mechanism such as a lock or channel |
| communication to establish a relative ordering. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h3>Channel communication</h3> |
| |
| <p> |
| Channel communication is the main method of synchronization |
| between goroutines. Each send on a particular channel |
| is matched to a corresponding receive from that channel, |
| usually in a different goroutine. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| A send on a channel happens before the corresponding |
| receive from that channel completes. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| This program: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var c = make(chan int, 10) |
| var a string |
| |
| func f() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| c <- 0 |
| } |
| |
| func main() { |
| go f() |
| <-c |
| print(a) |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| is guaranteed to print <code>"hello, world"</code>. The write to <code>a</code> |
| happens before the send on <code>c</code>, which happens before |
| the corresponding receive on <code>c</code> completes, which happens before |
| the <code>print</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| The closing of a channel happens before a receive that returns a zero value |
| because the channel is closed. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| In the previous example, replacing |
| <code>c <- 0</code> with <code>close(c)</code> |
| yields a program with the same guaranteed behavior. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| A receive from an unbuffered channel happens before |
| the send on that channel completes. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| This program (as above, but with the send and receive statements swapped and |
| using an unbuffered channel): |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var c = make(chan int) |
| var a string |
| |
| func f() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| <-c |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <pre> |
| func main() { |
| go f() |
| c <- 0 |
| print(a) |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| is also guaranteed to print <code>"hello, world"</code>. The write to <code>a</code> |
| happens before the receive on <code>c</code>, which happens before |
| the corresponding send on <code>c</code> completes, which happens |
| before the <code>print</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| If the channel were buffered (e.g., <code>c = make(chan int, 1)</code>) |
| then the program would not be guaranteed to print |
| <code>"hello, world"</code>. (It might print the empty string, |
| crash, or do something else.) |
| </p> |
| |
| <h3>Locks</h3> |
| |
| <p> |
| The <code>sync</code> package implements two lock data types, |
| <code>sync.Mutex</code> and <code>sync.RWMutex</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| For any <code>sync.Mutex</code> or <code>sync.RWMutex</code> variable <code>l</code> and <i>n</i> < <i>m</i>, |
| call <i>n</i> of <code>l.Unlock()</code> happens before call <i>m</i> of <code>l.Lock()</code> returns. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| This program: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var l sync.Mutex |
| var a string |
| |
| func f() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| l.Unlock() |
| } |
| |
| func main() { |
| l.Lock() |
| go f() |
| l.Lock() |
| print(a) |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| is guaranteed to print <code>"hello, world"</code>. |
| The first call to <code>l.Unlock()</code> (in <code>f</code>) happens |
| before the second call to <code>l.Lock()</code> (in <code>main</code>) returns, |
| which happens before the <code>print</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| For any call to <code>l.RLock</code> on a <code>sync.RWMutex</code> variable <code>l</code>, |
| there is an <i>n</i> such that the <code>l.RLock</code> happens (returns) after call <i>n</i> to |
| <code>l.Unlock</code> and the matching <code>l.RUnlock</code> happens |
| before call <i>n</i>+1 to <code>l.Lock</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h3>Once</h3> |
| |
| <p> |
| The <code>sync</code> package provides a safe mechanism for |
| initialization in the presence of multiple goroutines |
| through the use of the <code>Once</code> type. |
| Multiple threads can execute <code>once.Do(f)</code> for a particular <code>f</code>, |
| but only one will run <code>f()</code>, and the other calls block |
| until <code>f()</code> has returned. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p class="rule"> |
| A single call of <code>f()</code> from <code>once.Do(f)</code> happens (returns) before any call of <code>once.Do(f)</code> returns. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| In this program: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var a string |
| var once sync.Once |
| |
| func setup() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| } |
| |
| func doprint() { |
| once.Do(setup) |
| print(a) |
| } |
| |
| func twoprint() { |
| go doprint() |
| go doprint() |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| calling <code>twoprint</code> causes <code>"hello, world"</code> to be printed twice. |
| The first call to <code>twoprint</code> runs <code>setup</code> once. |
| </p> |
| |
| <h2>Incorrect synchronization</h2> |
| |
| <p> |
| Note that a read <span class="event">r</span> may observe the value written by a write <span class="event">w</span> |
| that happens concurrently with <span class="event">r</span>. |
| Even if this occurs, it does not imply that reads happening after <span class="event">r</span> |
| will observe writes that happened before <span class="event">w</span>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| In this program: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var a, b int |
| |
| func f() { |
| a = 1 |
| b = 2 |
| } |
| |
| func g() { |
| print(b) |
| print(a) |
| } |
| |
| func main() { |
| go f() |
| g() |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| it can happen that <code>g</code> prints <code>2</code> and then <code>0</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| This fact invalidates a few common idioms. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| Double-checked locking is an attempt to avoid the overhead of synchronization. |
| For example, the <code>twoprint</code> program might be |
| incorrectly written as: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var a string |
| var done bool |
| |
| func setup() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| done = true |
| } |
| |
| func doprint() { |
| if !done { |
| once.Do(setup) |
| } |
| print(a) |
| } |
| |
| func twoprint() { |
| go doprint() |
| go doprint() |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| but there is no guarantee that, in <code>doprint</code>, observing the write to <code>done</code> |
| implies observing the write to <code>a</code>. This |
| version can (incorrectly) print an empty string |
| instead of <code>"hello, world"</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| Another incorrect idiom is busy waiting for a value, as in: |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| var a string |
| var done bool |
| |
| func setup() { |
| a = "hello, world" |
| done = true |
| } |
| |
| func main() { |
| go setup() |
| for !done { |
| } |
| print(a) |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| As before, there is no guarantee that, in <code>main</code>, |
| observing the write to <code>done</code> |
| implies observing the write to <code>a</code>, so this program could |
| print an empty string too. |
| Worse, there is no guarantee that the write to <code>done</code> will ever |
| be observed by <code>main</code>, since there are no synchronization |
| events between the two threads. The loop in <code>main</code> is not |
| guaranteed to finish. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| There are subtler variants on this theme, such as this program. |
| </p> |
| |
| <pre> |
| type T struct { |
| msg string |
| } |
| |
| var g *T |
| |
| func setup() { |
| t := new(T) |
| t.msg = "hello, world" |
| g = t |
| } |
| |
| func main() { |
| go setup() |
| for g == nil { |
| } |
| print(g.msg) |
| } |
| </pre> |
| |
| <p> |
| Even if <code>main</code> observes <code>g != nil</code> and exits its loop, |
| there is no guarantee that it will observe the initialized |
| value for <code>g.msg</code>. |
| </p> |
| |
| <p> |
| In all these examples, the solution is the same: |
| use explicit synchronization. |
| </p> |