33 Thread support library [thread]

Several functions described in this Clause take an argument to specify a timeout.

These timeouts are specified as either a duration or a time_­point type as specified in [time].

Implementations necessarily have some delay in returning from a timeout.

Any overhead in interrupt response, function return, and scheduling induces a “quality of implementation” delay, expressed as duration .

Ideally, this delay would be zero.

Further, any contention for processor and memory resources induces a “quality of management” delay, expressed as duration .

The delay durations may vary from timeout to timeout, but in all cases shorter is better.

The member functions whose names end in _­for take an argument that specifies a duration.

These functions produce relative timeouts.

Implementations should use a steady clock to measure time for these functions.330

Given a duration argument , the real-time duration of the timeout is .

The member functions whose names end in _­until take an argument that specifies a time point.

These functions produce absolute timeouts.

Implementations should use the clock specified in the time point to measure time for these functions.

Given a clock time point argument , the clock time point of the return from timeout should be when the clock is not adjusted during the timeout.

If the clock is adjusted to the time during the timeout, the behavior should be as follows:

• (4.1)
  if , the waiting function should wake as soon as possible, i.e. , since the timeout is already satisfied.
  [ Note

  :

  This specification may result in the total duration of the wait decreasing when measured against a steady clock.

  — end note

   ]
• (4.2)
  if , the waiting function should not time out until Clock​::​now() returns a time , i.e. waking at .
  [ Note

  :

  When the clock is adjusted backwards, this specification may result in the total duration of the wait increasing when measured against a steady clock.

  When the clock is adjusted forwards, this specification may result in the total duration of the wait decreasing when measured against a steady clock.

  — end note

   ]

An implementation shall return from such a timeout at any point from the time specified above to the time it would return from a steady-clock relative timeout on the difference between and the time point of the call to the _­until function.

The resolution of timing provided by an implementation depends on both operating system and hardware.

The finest resolution provided by an implementation is called the native resolution.

Implementation-provided clocks that are used for these functions shall meet the TrivialClock requirements ([time.clock.req]).

A function that takes an argument which specifies a timeout will throw if, during its execution, a clock, time point, or time duration throws an exception.

Such exceptions are referred to as timeout-related exceptions.