path: root/README.md

# AtomicFU 

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>Note on Beta status: the plugin is in its active development phase and changes from release to release.
>We do provide a compatibility of atomicfu-transformed artifacts between releases, but we do not provide 
>strict compatibility guarantees on plugin API and its general stability between Kotlin versions.

**Atomicfu** is a multiplatform library that provides the idiomatic and effective way of using atomic operations in Kotlin.

## Table of contents
- [Features](#features)
- [Example](#example)
- [Quickstart](#quickstart)
  - [Apply plugin to a project](#apply-plugin)
    - [Gradle configuration](#gradle-configuration)
    - [Maven configuration](#maven-configuration)
- [Usage constraints](#usage-constraints)  
- [Transformation modes](#transformation-modes)
  - [Atomicfu compiler plugin](#atomicfu-compiler-plugin)
- [Options for post-compilation transformation](#options-for-post-compilation-transformation) 
  - [JVM options](#jvm-options)
  - [JS options](#js-options)
- [More features](#more-features)
  - [Arrays of atomic values](#arrays-of-atomic-values)
  - [User-defined extensions on atomics](#user-defined-extensions-on-atomics)
  - [Locks](#locks)
  - [Tracing operations](#tracing-operations)
- [Kotlin/Native support](#kotlin-native-support)


## Features

* Code it like a boxed value `atomic(0)`, but run it in production efficiently:
  * as `java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicXxxFieldUpdater` on Kotlin/JVM 
  * as a plain unboxed value on Kotlin/JS
* Multiplatform: write common Kotlin code with atomics that compiles for Kotlin JVM, JS, and Native backends:
    * Compile-only dependency for JVM and JS (no runtime dependencies)
    * Compile and runtime dependency for Kotlin/Native 
* Use Kotlin-specific extensions (e.g. inline `loop`, `update`, `updateAndGet` functions).
* Use atomic arrays, user-defined extensions on atomics and locks (see [more features](#more-features)).
* [Tracing operations](#tracing-operations) for debugging.
  
## Example

Let us declare a `top` variable for a lock-free stack implementation:

```kotlin
import kotlinx.atomicfu.* // import top-level functions from kotlinx.atomicfu

private val top = atomic<Node?>(null) 
```

Use `top.value` to perform volatile reads and writes:

```kotlin
fun isEmpty() = top.value == null  // volatile read
fun clear() { top.value = null }   // volatile write
``` 

Use `compareAndSet` function directly:

```kotlin
if (top.compareAndSet(expect, update)) ... 
```

Use higher-level looping primitives (inline extensions), for example:

```kotlin
top.loop { cur ->   // while(true) loop that volatile-reads current value 
   ...
}
```

Use high-level `update`, `updateAndGet`, and `getAndUpdate`, 
when possible, for idiomatic lock-free code, for example:

```kotlin
fun push(v: Value) = top.update { cur -> Node(v, cur) }
fun pop(): Value? = top.getAndUpdate { cur -> cur?.next } ?.value
```

Declare atomic integers and longs using type inference:

```kotlin
val myInt = atomic(0)    // note: integer initial value
val myLong = atomic(0L)  // note: long initial value   
```

Integer and long atomics provide all the usual `getAndIncrement`, `incrementAndGet`, `getAndAdd`, `addAndGet`, and etc
operations. They can be also atomically modified via `+=` and `-=` operators.

## Quickstart
### Apply plugin
#### Gradle configuration

Gradle configuration is supported for all platforms, minimal version is Gradle 6.8.

In top-level build file:

<details open>
<summary>Kotlin</summary>

```kotlin
buildscript {
    repositories {
        mavenCentral()
    }

    dependencies {
      classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlinx:atomicfu-gradle-plugin:0.18.5")
    }
}

apply(plugin = "kotlinx-atomicfu")
```
</details>

<details>
<summary>Groovy</summary>

```groovy
buildscript {
    repositories {
        mavenCentral()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath 'org.jetbrains.kotlinx:atomicfu-gradle-plugin:0.18.5'
    }
}
  
apply plugin: 'kotlinx-atomicfu'
```
</details>

#### Maven configuration

Maven configuration is supported for JVM projects.


<details open>
<summary>Declare atomicfu version</summary>

```xml
<properties>
     <atomicfu.version>0.18.5</atomicfu.version>
</properties> 
```

</details>

<details>
<summary>Declare provided dependency on the AtomicFU library</summary>

```xml
<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.jetbrains.kotlinx</groupId>
        <artifactId>atomicfu</artifactId>
        <version>${atomicfu.version}</version>
        <scope>provided</scope>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>
```

</details>

Configure build steps so that Kotlin compiler puts classes into a different `classes-pre-atomicfu` directory,
which is then transformed to a regular `classes` directory to be used later by tests and delivery.

<details>
<summary>Build steps</summary>

```xml
<build>
  <plugins>
    <!-- compile Kotlin files to staging directory -->
    <plugin>
      <groupId>org.jetbrains.kotlin</groupId>
      <artifactId>kotlin-maven-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>${kotlin.version}</version>
      <executions>
        <execution>
          <id>compile</id>
          <phase>compile</phase>
          <goals>
            <goal>compile</goal>
          </goals>
          <configuration>
            <output>${project.build.directory}/classes-pre-atomicfu</output>
          </configuration>
        </execution>
      </executions>
    </plugin>
    <!-- transform classes with AtomicFU plugin -->
    <plugin>
      <groupId>org.jetbrains.kotlinx</groupId>
      <artifactId>atomicfu-maven-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>${atomicfu.version}</version>
      <executions>
        <execution>
          <goals>
            <goal>transform</goal>
          </goals>
          <configuration>
            <input>${project.build.directory}/classes-pre-atomicfu</input>
            <!-- "VH" to use Java 9 VarHandle, "BOTH" to produce multi-version code -->
            <variant>FU</variant>
          </configuration>
        </execution>
      </executions>
    </plugin>
  </plugins>
</build>
```

</details>

## Usage constraints

* Declare atomic variables as `private val` or `internal val`. You can use just (public) `val`, 
  but make sure they are not directly accessed outside of your Kotlin module (outside of the source set).
  Access to the atomic variable itself shall be encapsulated.
* Only simple operations on atomic variables _directly_ are supported. 
  * Do not read references on atomic variables into local variables,
    e.g. `top.compareAndSet(...)` is ok, while `val tmp = top; tmp...` is not. 
  * Do not leak references on atomic variables in other way (return, pass as params, etc). 
* Do not introduce complex data flow in parameters to atomic variable operations, 
  i.e. `top.value = complex_expression` and `top.compareAndSet(cur, complex_expression)` are not supported 
  (more specifically, `complex_expression` should not have branches in its compiled representation).
  Extract `complex_expression` into a variable when needed.
* Use the following convention if you need to expose the value of atomic property to the public:

```kotlin
private val _foo = atomic<T>(initial) // private atomic, convention is to name it with leading underscore
public var foo: T by _foo            // public delegated property (val/var)
```

## Transformation modes

Basically, Atomicfu library provides an effective usage of atomic values by performing the transformations of the compiled code.
For JVM and JS there 2 transformation modes available: 
* **Post-compilation transformation** that modifies the compiled bytecode or `*.js` files. 
* **IR transformation** that is performed by the atomicfu compiler plugin.

### Atomicfu compiler plugin

Compiler plugin transformation is less fragile than transformation of the compiled sources 
as it depends on the compiler IR tree.

To turn on IR transformation set these properties in your `gradle.properties` file:

<details open>
<summary>For Kotlin >= 1.7.20</summary>

```groovy
kotlinx.atomicfu.enableJvmIrTransformation=true // for JVM IR transformation
kotlinx.atomicfu.enableJsIrTransformation=true // for JS IR transformation
```

</details>

<details>


<summary> For Kotlin >= 1.6.20 and Kotlin < 1.7.20</summary>

```groovy
kotlinx.atomicfu.enableIrTransformation=true // only JS IR transformation is supported
```

</details>

Also for JS backend make sure that `ir` or `both` compiler mode is set:

```groovy
kotlin.js.compiler=ir // or both
```


## Options for post-compilation transformation

Some configuration options are available for _post-compilation transform tasks_ on JVM and JS.

To set configuration options you should create `atomicfu` section in a `build.gradle` file, 
like this:
```groovy
atomicfu {
  dependenciesVersion = '0.18.5'
}
```

### JVM options

To turn off transformation for Kotlin/JVM set option `transformJvm` to `false`.

Configuration option `jvmVariant` defines the Java class that replaces atomics during bytecode transformation.
Here are the valid options:
- `FU` – atomics are replaced with [AtomicXxxFieldUpdater](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/10/docs/api/java/util/concurrent/atomic/AtomicIntegerFieldUpdater.html).
- `VH` – atomics are replaced with [VarHandle](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/docs/api/java/lang/invoke/VarHandle.html), 
  this option is supported for JDK 9+.
- `BOTH` – [multi-release jar file](https://openjdk.java.net/jeps/238) will be created with both `AtomicXxxFieldUpdater` for JDK <= 8 and `VarHandle` for JDK 9+.

### JS options

To turn off transformation for Kotlin/JS set option `transformJs` to `false`.

Here are all available configuration options (with their defaults):
```groovy
atomicfu {
  dependenciesVersion = '0.18.5' // set to null to turn-off auto dependencies
  transformJvm = true // set to false to turn off JVM transformation
  jvmVariant = "FU" // JVM transformation variant: FU,VH, or BOTH
  transformJs = true // set to false to turn off JVM transformation
}
```

## More features

AtomicFU provides some additional features that you can use.

### Arrays of atomic values

You can declare arrays of all supported atomic value types. 
By default arrays are transformed into the corresponding `java.util.concurrent.atomic.Atomic*Array` instances.

If you configure `variant = "VH"` an array will be transformed to plain array using 
[VarHandle](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/docs/api/java/lang/invoke/VarHandle.html) to support atomic operations.
  
```kotlin
val a = atomicArrayOfNulls<T>(size) // similar to Array constructor

val x = a[i].value // read value
a[i].value = x // set value
a[i].compareAndSet(expect, update) // do atomic operations
```

### User-defined extensions on atomics

You can define you own extension functions on `AtomicXxx` types but they must be `inline` and they cannot
be public and be used outside of the module they are defined in. For example:

```kotlin
@Suppress("NOTHING_TO_INLINE")
private inline fun AtomicBoolean.tryAcquire(): Boolean = compareAndSet(false, true)
```

### Locks

This project includes `kotlinx.atomicfu.locks` package providing multiplatform locking primitives that
require no additional runtime dependencies on Kotlin/JVM and Kotlin/JS with a library implementation for 
Kotlin/Native.

* `SynchronizedObject` is designed for inheritance. You write `class MyClass : SynchronizedObject()` and then 
use `synchronized(instance) { ... }` extension function similarly to the 
[synchronized](https://kotlinlang.org/api/latest/jvm/stdlib/kotlin/synchronized.html)
function from the standard library that is available for JVM. The `SynchronizedObject` superclass gets erased
(transformed to `Any`) on JVM and JS, with `synchronized` leaving no trace in the code on JS and getting 
replaced with built-in monitors for locking on JVM.

* `ReentrantLock` is designed for delegation. You write `val lock = reentrantLock()` to construct its instance and
use `lock`/`tryLock`/`unlock` functions or `lock.withLock { ... }` extension function similarly to the way
[jucl.ReentrantLock](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/concurrent/locks/ReentrantLock.html)
is used on JVM. On JVM it is a typealias to the later class, erased on JS.   

> Note that package `kotlinx.atomicfu.locks` is experimental explicitly even while atomicfu is experimental itself,
> meaning that no ABI guarantees are provided whatsoever. API from this package is not recommended to use in libraries
> that other projects depend on.

### Tracing operations

You can debug your tests tracing atomic operations with a special trace object:

```kotlin
private val trace = Trace()
private val current = atomic(0, trace)

fun update(x: Int): Int {           
    // custom trace message
    trace { "calling update($x)" }
    // automatic tracing of modification operations 
    return current.getAndAdd(x)
}
```      

All trace messages are stored in a cyclic array inside `trace`. 
 
You can optionally set the size of trace's message array and format function. For example, 
you can add a current thread name to the traced messages:

```kotlin
private val trace = Trace(size = 64) {   
    index, // index of a trace message 
    text   // text passed when invoking trace { text }
    -> "$index: [${Thread.currentThread().name}] $text" 
} 
```                           

`trace` is only seen before transformation and completely erased after on Kotlin/JVM and Kotlin/JS.

## Kotlin Native support

Atomic references for Kotlin/Native are based on
[FreezableAtomicReference](https://kotlinlang.org/api/latest/jvm/stdlib/kotlin.native.concurrent/-freezable-atomic-reference/-init-.html)
and every reference that is stored to the previously
[frozen](https://kotlinlang.org/api/latest/jvm/stdlib/kotlin.native.concurrent/freeze.html)
(shared with another thread) atomic is automatically frozen, too.

Since Kotlin/Native does not generally provide binary compatibility between versions,
you should use the same version of Kotlin compiler as was used to build AtomicFU.
See [gradle.properties](gradle.properties) in AtomicFU project for its `kotlin_version`.