Python threading and sharing variables

[Rhodri James]

On 05/07/17 09:26, Chris Angelico wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 5, 2017 at 5:56 PM, pozz <pozzugno at gmail.com> wrote:
>> It seems it works, but I'm not sure it is the correct way to share the
>> variable self.cnt. It is only written in the long thread and only read in
>> the main thread.
>> Could a single Python instruction be interrupted (in this case, self.cnt =
>> i)? Should I use a locking mechanism when reading/writing?
>>
>> What about if the variable is more complex, for example a list or
>> dictionary? Even in this case, is it safe to avoid locking on a shared
>> variable if the operation on the variable is performed in a single Python
>> instruction?
> 
> You can be confident that a single assignment will happen atomically.
> Even if "self.cnt = i" requires multiple instructions to perform
> (which it probably doesn't), there's still going to be some moment
> before the change has happened at all, and then some moment when the
> change has completely happened, and you won't get a context switch in
> between.

Is there a definition of what is or isn't atomic behaviour anywhere?  As 
an embedded C programmer I definitely wouldn't assume that a high-level 
assignment (in all its ref-counting glory) would be atomic without some 
hint of proof :-)

-- 
Rhodri James *-* Kynesim Ltd