xref: /haiku/docs/user/app/MessageQueue.dox (revision 820dca4df6c7bf955c46e8f6521b9408f50b2900)
1/*
2 * Copyright 2007, Haiku, Inc. All rights reserved.
3 * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
4 *
5 * Authors:
6 *		Niels Sascha Reedijk, niels.reedijk@gmail.com
7 *
8 * Corresponds to:
9 *		/trunk/headers/os/app/MessageQueue.h  rev 19956
10 *		/trunk/src/kits/app/MessageQueue.cpp  rev 19956
11 */
12
13/*!
14	\file MessageQueue.h
15	\ingroup app
16	\ingroup libroot
17	\brief Provides the BMessageQueue class.
18*/
19
20
21/*!
22	\class BMessageQueue
23	\ingroup app
24	\brief A container that maintains a queue of messages.
25
26	This class is used by BLooper to maintain a queue of messages that need to
27	be processed. This class has been designed as a first in, first out
28	container.
29
30	The default message handling of a BLooper probably suffices for most uses,
31	but if you want more control, you can perform operations using the methods
32	of this class. Use BLooper::MessageQueue() to retrieve the specific
33	BMessageQueue instance.
34
35	Note that you are encouraged to make sure that whichever operation you
36	perform, that you only do this after the object has been locked (see
37	Lock()). The most important method, NextMessage() will fail if you have not
38	complied with this requirement.
39*/
40
41
42/*!
43	\fn BMessageQueue::BMessageQueue()
44	\brief Constructs an empty message queue.
45*/
46
47
48/*!
49	\fn BMessageQueue::~BMessageQueue()
50	\brief Destruct the BMessageQueue. It iterates over any messages left on
51		the queue and deletes them.
52
53	The implementation is careful not to release the lock when the
54	BMessageQueue is deconstructed.  If the lock is released, it is
55	possible another thread will start an AddMessage() operation before
56	the BLocker is deleted.  The safe thing to do is not to unlock the
57	BLocker from the destructor once it is acquired. That way, any thread
58	waiting to do a AddMessage() will fail to acquire the lock since the
59	BLocker will be deleted before they can acquire it.
60*/
61
62
63/*!
64	\fn void BMessageQueue::AddMessage(BMessage* message)
65	\brief Add a \a message to the end of the queue.
66
67	The message has to be allocated on the heap with \c new, because the queue
68	claims ownership of the message. Messages that were constructed on the
69	stack will corrupt the queue.
70
71	Because a BMessageQueue claims ownership of the \a message, it is important
72	that the message does not belong to another BMessageQueue.
73*/
74
75
76/*!
77	\fn void BMessageQueue::RemoveMessage(BMessage* message)
78	\brief Remove a \a message from the queue.
79
80	If the \a message is indeed associated with this queue, it is removed from
81	it. This effectively means that you regain ownership of the message.
82*/
83
84
85/*!
86	\fn int32 BMessageQueue::CountMessages() const
87	\brief Return the number of messages waiting in the queue.
88*/
89
90
91/*!
92	\fn bool BMessageQueue::IsEmpty() const
93	\brief Check if there are messages waiting in the queue.
94*/
95
96
97/*!
98	\fn BMessage *BMessageQueue::FindMessage(int32 index) const
99	\brief Retrieve the message at the \a index of this queue.
100
101	\param index A zero-based index of the message you want to retrieve.
102
103	\return A pointer to a message, or \c NULL if the \a index is out of
104		bounds.
105	\see FindMessage(uint32, int32) for a variant that takes a specific \c what
106		identifier.
107*/
108
109
110/*!
111	\fn BMessage *BMessageQueue::FindMessage(uint32 what, int32 index) const
112	\brief Retrieve the message at the \a index of this queue, but only if it
113	 	has a specific \a what constant.
114
115	\param index A zero-based index of the message you want to retrieve.
116	\param what The \a what code of the message.
117
118	\return A pointer to a message, or \c NULL if there is no message at the
119		\a index with that \a what constant, or if the \a index is out of
120		bounds.
121*/
122
123
124/*!
125	\fn bool BMessageQueue::Lock()
126	\brief Lock the queue so no other thread can perform operations on it.
127
128	\see Unlock()
129*/
130
131
132/*!
133	\fn void BMessageQueue::Unlock()
134	\brief Unlock the queue after a Lock() request.
135
136	\see Lock()
137*/
138
139
140/*!
141	\fn bool BMessageQueue::IsLocked() const
142	\brief Check if the queue is locked.
143
144	\see Lock() and Unlock()
145*/
146
147
148/*!
149	\fn BMessage *BMessageQueue::NextMessage()
150	\brief Remove the first BMessage on the queue and return it to the caller.
151
152	After calling this method, you get the ownership of the message, so make
153	sure it is deleted after you are done.
154
155	\return A pointer to a message, or \c NULL if the queue is empty, or the
156		object has not been properly locked.
157	\see Lock()
158	\see IsNextMessage()
159*/
160
161
162/*!
163	\fn bool BMessageQueue::IsNextMessage(const BMessage* message) const
164	\brief Check if the pointer to a \a message points at the next message on
165		the queue.
166*/
167