Updated: 2022/Sep/29

Please read Privacy Policy. It's for your privacy.


PTHREAD_KEY_CREATE(3)      Library Functions Manual      PTHREAD_KEY_CREATE(3)

NAME
     pthread_key_create, pthread_key_delete - thread-specific data

LIBRARY
     POSIX Threads Library (libpthread, -lpthread)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <pthread.h>

     int
     pthread_key_create(pthread_key_t *key, void (*destructor)(void *));

     int
     pthread_key_delete(pthread_key_t key);

DESCRIPTION
     The pthread_key_create() function creates a thread-specific data key
     visible to all threads in the process.  Key values are opaque objects
     used to locate thread-specific data.  The same key value may be used by
     different threads, but the values bound to the key by
     pthread_setspecific() are maintained on a per-thread basis and persist
     for the life of the calling thread.

     Upon key creation, the value NULL is associated with the new key in all
     active threads.  Upon thread creation, the value NULL is associated with
     all defined keys in the new thread.

     An optional destructor function may be associated with each key value.
     At thread exit, if a key value has a non-NULL destructor pointer, and the
     thread has a non-NULL value associated with the key, the function pointed
     to is called with the current associated value as its sole argument.  The
     order of destructor calls is unspecified if more than one destructor
     exists for a thread when it exits.

     If, after all the destructors have been called for all non-NULL values
     with associated destructors, there are still some non-NULL values with
     associated destructors, then the process is repeated.  If, after at least
     PTHREAD_DESTRUCTOR_ITERATIONS iterations of destructor calls for
     outstanding non-NULL values, there are still some non-NULL values with
     associated destructors, the implementation stops calling destructors.

     The pthread_key_delete() function deletes a thread-specific data key
     previously returned by pthread_key_create().  The thread-specific data
     values associated with key need not be NULL at the time of the call.  It
     is the responsibility of the application to free any application storage
     or perform any cleanup actions for data structures related to the deleted
     key or associated thread-specific data in any threads; this cleanup can
     be done either before or after pthread_key_delete() is called.  Any
     attempt to use key following the call to pthread_key_delete() results in
     undefined behavior.

     The pthread_key_delete() function itself is callable from within
     destructor functions, but destructor functions are not invoked by the
     function.  Any destructor function that may have been associated with key
     will no longer be called upon thread exit.

RETURN VALUES
     If successful, the pthread_key_create() function will store the newly
     created key value at the location specified by key and returns zero.
     Also pthread_key_delete() will return zero upon success.  Upon failure
     both functions return an error number to indicate the cause.

ENVIRONMENT
     PTHREAD_KEYS_MAX  Maximum per-process thread-specific data keys.  This
                       cannot be set below _POSIX_THREAD_KEYS_MAX.

ERRORS
     The pthread_key_create() may fail if:

     [EAGAIN]           The system lacked the necessary resources to create
                        another thread-specific data key, or the system-
                        imposed limit on the total number of keys per-process
                        PTHREAD_KEYS_MAX would be exceeded.

     [ENOMEM]           Insufficient memory exists to create the key.

     The pthread_key_delete() function may fail if:

     [EINVAL]           The key value is invalid.

SEE ALSO
     pthread_getspecific(3)

STANDARDS
     These functions conform to IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 ("POSIX.1").

BUGS
     The current specifications are flawed and do not permit a clean
     implementation without potential problems.  The current implementation in
     NetBSD addresses these problems by not supporting key reuse.

NetBSD 10.99                     May 29, 2015                     NetBSD 10.99