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### 1033. `thread::join()` effects?

Section: 32.4.3.6 [thread.thread.member] Status: C++11 Submitter: Alberto Ganesh Barbati Opened: 2009-03-12 Last modified: 2016-01-28

Priority: Not Prioritized

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Discussion:

While looking at `thread::join()` I think I spotted a couple of possible defects in the specifications. I could not find a previous issue or NB comment about that, but I might have missed it.

The postconditions clause for `thread::join()` is:

> Postconditions: If `join()` throws an exception, the value returned by `get_id()` is unchanged. Otherwise, `get_id() == id()`.

and the throws clause is:

> Throws: `std::system_error` when the postconditions cannot be achieved.

Now... how could the postconditions not be achieved? It's just a matter of resetting the value of `get_id()` or leave it unchanged! I bet we can always do that. Moreover, it's a chicken-and-egg problem: in order to decide whether to throw or not I depend on the postconditions, but the postconditions are different in the two cases.

I believe the throws clause should be:

> Throws: `std::system_error` when the effects or postconditions cannot be achieved.

as it is in `detach()`, or, even better, as the postcondition is trivially satisfiable and to remove the circular dependency:

> Throws: `std::system_error` if the effects cannot be achieved.

Problem is that... ehm... `join()` has no "Effects" clause. Is that intentional?

[ See the thread starting at c++std-lib-23204 for more discussion. ]

[ Batavia (2009-05): ]

> Pete believes there may be some more general language (in frontmatter) that can address this and related issues such as 962.

> Move to Open.

[ 2009-11-18 Anthony provides wording. ]

[ 2010-02-12 Moved to Tentatively Ready after 5 positive votes on c++std-lib. ]

Proposed resolution:

Edit 32.4.3.6 [thread.thread.member] as indicated:

>     void join();

> > 5 Precondition: `joinable()` is `true`.

> > Effects: Blocks until the thread represented by `*this` has completed.

> > 6 Synchronization: The completion of the thread represented by `*this` happens before (6.9.2 [intro.multithread]) `join()` returns. [Note: Operations on `*this` are not synchronized. — end note]

> > 7 Postconditions: If `join()` throws an exception, the value returned by `get_id()` is unchanged. Otherwise, The thread represented by `*this` has completed. `get_id() == id()`.

> > 8 ...