Why use SyncLocks in .NET for simple operations when Interlocked class is available?
- by rwmnau
I've been doing simple multi-threading in VB.NET for a while, and have just gotten into my first large multi-threaded project. I've always done everything using the Synclock statement because I didn't think there was a better way.
I just learned about the Interlocked Class - it makes it look as though all this:
Private SomeInt as Integer
Private SomeInt_LockObject as New Object
Public Sub IntrementSomeInt
Synclock SomeInt_LockObject
SomeInt += 1
End Synclock
End Sub
Can be replaced with a single statement:
Interlocked.Increment(SomeInt)
This handles all the locking internally and modifies the number. This would be much simpler than writing my own locks for simple operations (longer-running or more complicated operations obviously still need their own locking).
Is there a reason why I'd rolling my own locking, using dedicated locking objects, when I can accomplish the same thing using the Interlocked methods?
