xref: /haiku/docs/user/app/MessageQueue.dox (revision bc3955fea5b07e2e94a27fc05e4bb58fe6f0319b)
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	\brief Provides the BMessageQueue class.
16*/
17
18
19/*!
20	\class BMessageQueue
21	\ingroup app
22	\brief A container that maintains a queue of messages.
23
24	This class is used by BLooper to maintain a queue of messages that need to
25	be processed. This class has been designed as a first in, first out
26	container.
27
28	The default message handling of a BLooper probably suffices for most uses,
29	but if you want more control, you can perform operations using the methods
30	of this class. Use BLooper::MessageQueue() to retrieve the specific
31	BMessageQueue instance.
32
33	Note that you are encouraged to make sure that whichever operation you
34	perform, that you only do this after the object has been locked (see
35	Lock()). The most important method, NextMessage() will fail if you have not
36	complied with this requirement.
37*/
38
39
40/*!
41	\fn BMessageQueue::BMessageQueue()
42	\brief Constructs an empty message queue.
43*/
44
45
46/*!
47	\fn BMessageQueue::~BMessageQueue()
48	\brief Destruct the BMessageQueue. It iterates over any messages left on
49		the queue and deletes them.
50
51	The implementation is careful not to release the lock when the
52	BMessageQueue is deconstructed.  If the lock is released, it is
53	possible another thread will start an AddMessage() operation before
54	the BLocker is deleted.  The safe thing to do is not to unlock the
55	BLocker from the destructor once it is acquired. That way, any thread
56	waiting to do a AddMessage() will fail to acquire the lock since the
57	BLocker will be deleted before they can acquire it.
58*/
59
60
61/*!
62	\fn void BMessageQueue::AddMessage(BMessage* message)
63	\brief Add a \a message to the end of the queue.
64
65	The message has to be allocated on the heap with \c new, because the queue
66	claims ownership of the message. Messages that were constructed on the
67	stack will corrupt the queue.
68
69	Because a BMessageQueue claims ownership of the \a message, it is important
70	that the message does not belong to another BMessageQueue.
71*/
72
73
74/*!
75	\fn void BMessageQueue::RemoveMessage(BMessage* message)
76	\brief Remove a \a message from the queue.
77
78	If the \a message is indeed associated with this queue, it is removed from
79	it. This effectively means that you regain ownership of the message.
80*/
81
82
83/*!
84	\fn int32 BMessageQueue::CountMessages() const
85	\brief Return the number of messages waiting in the queue.
86*/
87
88
89/*!
90	\fn bool BMessageQueue::IsEmpty() const
91	\brief Check if there are messages waiting in the queue.
92*/
93
94
95/*!
96	\fn BMessage *BMessageQueue::FindMessage(int32 index) const
97	\brief Retrieve the message at the \a index of this queue.
98
99	\param index A zero-based index of the message you want to retrieve.
100
101	\return A pointer to a message, or \c NULL if the \a index is out of
102		bounds.
103	\see FindMessage(uint32, int32) for a variant that takes a specific \c what
104		identifier.
105*/
106
107
108/*!
109	\fn BMessage *BMessageQueue::FindMessage(uint32 what, int32 index) const
110	\brief Retrieve the message at the \a index of this queue, but only if it
111	 	has a specific \a what constant.
112
113	\param index A zero-based index of the message you want to retrieve.
114	\param what The \a what code of the message.
115
116	\return A pointer to a message, or \c NULL if there is no message at the
117		\a index with that \a what constant, or if the \a index is out of
118		bounds.
119*/
120
121
122/*!
123	\fn bool BMessageQueue::Lock()
124	\brief Lock the queue so no other thread can perform operations on it.
125
126	\see Unlock()
127*/
128
129
130/*!
131	\fn void BMessageQueue::Unlock()
132	\brief Unlock the queue after a Lock() request.
133
134	\see Lock()
135*/
136
137
138/*!
139	\fn bool BMessageQueue::IsLocked() const
140	\brief Check if the queue is locked.
141
142	\see Lock() and Unlock()
143*/
144
145
146/*!
147	\fn BMessage *BMessageQueue::NextMessage()
148	\brief Remove the first BMessage on the queue and return it to the caller.
149
150	After calling this method, you get the ownership of the message, so make
151	sure it is deleted after you are done.
152
153	\return A pointer to a message, or \c NULL if the queue is empty, or the
154		object has not been properly locked.
155	\see Lock()
156	\see IsNextMessage()
157*/
158
159
160/*!
161	\fn bool BMessageQueue::IsNextMessage(const BMessage* message) const
162	\brief Check if the pointer to a \a message points at the next message on
163		the queue.
164*/
165