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mutex(+MutexId, +Goal)

Equivalent to once(Goal) but with mutual exclusion among parallel workers.

MutexId: Atom.
Goal: Atom or compound term.

This built-in predicate is obsolete!

Description

This built-in can be used in parallel programs to implement mutual exclusion between parallel workers. A Goal that is called via mutex/2 can be sure that no parallel worker is executing at the same time any goal that is protected by a mutex/2 with the same MutexId.

Note that in a side effect free program there is no need ever to worry about mutual exclusion. Only when side effects are involved (e.g. read/1,2 and write/1,2, assert/1, setval/2, record/2 etc.) it may be necessary to acquire exclusive access to the common resource by using mutex/2.

Modes and Determinism

mutex(+, +) is det

Modules

This predicate is sensitive to its module context (tool predicate, see @/2).

Fail Conditions

Fails if Goal fails

Exceptions

(4) instantiation fault: Goal is not instantiated.
(5) type error: Goal is not an atom or a compound term.

Examples

    :- mutex_init(my_lock).

    atomic_write_list(List) :-
        % make sure the list is printed in one chunk
        mutex(my_lock, write_list(List)).

    write_list([]) :- nl.
    write_list([X|Xs]) :- writeln(X), write_list(Xs).

    [eclipse]: generate_lists_in_parallel(L),
               atomic_write_list(L), fail.