Subj : Re: recursive mutexes
To   : comp.programming.threads
From : Uenal Mutlu
Date : Thu May 19 2005 12:01 am

"David Schwartz" wrote
>
> "Uenal Mutlu" wrote in message
>
> > I would say that it is even much easier to develop a complex system
> > and also much easier to maintain it by the use of recursive mutices.
>
>     Have you ever developed and maintained a complex system? Say a project
> involving at least 150,000 lines of code, at least 4 programmers, and at
> least 4 released versions. I've found that it's much easier when every piece
> of code knows what mutexes it holds.

The biggest project I worked was developing the OS and the application code
of Siemens mobile phones until about 3 yrs ago for two generations (releases).
There were more than 30  developers working on it. Unfortunately I cannot tell
exactly how many LOCs it had, but I remember there were more than 1000 source
files (most C files). Of course we used a concurrent versioning system.

As I once wrote in my previous postings, one has to use encapsulation
to master a complex system. By this one only needs to concentrate on
smaller pieces (modules), and develop them as independent functional modules,
so within such a functional module you normally don't need to know what other
modules do. But, it's maybe all up to the specifics of the project.
I mean: I try to get my own lock. If it fails then it fails --> I then know someone
else has the lock so I give up my time-slice, because what else can I do..?

.