// Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved. // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be // found in the LICENSE file. #ifndef PPAPI_CPP_MESSAGE_LOOP_H_ #define PPAPI_CPP_MESSAGE_LOOP_H_ #include "ppapi/cpp/resource.h" /// @file /// This file defines the PPB_MessageLoop API. namespace pp { class CompletionCallback; class InstanceHandle; /// A message loop allows PPAPI calls to be issued on a thread. You may not /// issue any API calls on a thread without creating a message loop. It also /// allows you to post work to the message loop for a thread. /// /// To process work posted to the message loop, as well as completion callbacks /// for asynchronous operations, you must run the message loop via Run(). /// /// Note the system manages the lifetime of the instance (and all associated /// resources). If the instance is deleted from the page, background threads may /// suddenly see their PP_Resource handles become invalid. In this case, calls /// will fail with PP_ERROR_BADRESOURCE. If you need to access data associated /// with your instance, you will probably want to create some kind of threadsafe /// proxy object that can handle asynchronous destruction of the instance /// object. /// /// Typical usage: /// On the main thread: /// - Create the thread yourself (using pthreads). /// - Create the message loop resource. /// - Pass the message loop resource to your thread's main function. /// - Call PostWork() on the message loop to run functions on the thread. /// /// From the background thread's main function: /// - Call AttachToCurrentThread() with the message loop resource. /// - Call Run() with the message loop resource. /// /// Your callbacks should look like this: /// @code /// void DoMyWork(void* user_data, int32_t status) { /// if (status != PP_OK) { /// Cleanup(); // e.g. free user_data. /// return; /// } /// ... do your work... /// } /// @endcode /// For a C++ example, see ppapi/utility/threading/simple_thread.h /// /// (You can also create the message loop resource on the background thread, /// but then the main thread will have no reference to it should you want to /// call PostWork()). /// /// /// THREAD HANDLING /// /// The main thread has an implicitly created message loop. The main thread is /// the thread where PPP_InitializeModule and PPP_Instance functions are called. /// You can retrieve a reference to this message loop by calling /// GetForMainThread() or, if your code is on the main thread, GetCurrent() will /// also work. /// /// Some special threads created by the system can not have message loops. In /// particular, the background thread created for audio processing has this /// requirement because it's intended to be highly responsive to keep up with /// the realtime requirements of audio processing. You can not make PPAPI calls /// from these threads. /// /// Once you associate a message loop with a thread, you don't have to keep a /// reference to it. The system will hold a reference to the message loop for as /// long as the thread is running. The current message loop can be retrieved /// using the GetCurrent() function. /// /// It is legal to create threads in your plugin without message loops, but /// PPAPI calls will fail unless explicitly noted in the documentation. /// /// You can create a message loop object on a thread and never actually run the /// message loop. This will allow you to call blocking PPAPI calls (via /// PP_BlockUntilComplete()). If you make any asynchronous calls, the callbacks /// from those calls will be queued in the message loop and never run. The same /// thing will happen if work is scheduled after the message loop exits and /// the message loop is not run again. /// /// /// DESTRUCTION AND ERROR HANDLING /// /// Often, your application will associate memory with completion callbacks. For /// example, the C++ CompletionCallbackFactory has a small amount of /// heap-allocated memory for each callback. This memory will be leaked if the /// callback is never run. To avoid this memory leak, you need to be careful /// about error handling and shutdown. /// /// There are a number of cases where posted callbacks will never be run: /// /// - You tear down the thread (via pthreads) without "destroying" the message /// loop (via PostQuit with should_destroy = PP_TRUE). In this case, any /// tasks in the message queue will be lost. /// /// - You create a message loop, post callbacks to it, and never run it. /// /// - You quit the message loop via PostQuit with should_destroy set to /// PP_FALSE. In this case, the system will assume the message loop will be /// run again later and keep your tasks. /// /// To do proper shutdown, call PostQuit with should_destroy = PP_TRUE. This /// will prohibit future work from being posted, and will allow the message loop /// to run until all pending tasks are run. /// /// If you post a callback to a message loop that's been destroyed, or to an /// invalid message loop, PostWork will return an error and will not run the /// callback. This is true even for callbacks with the "required" flag set, /// since the system may not even know what thread to issue the error callback /// on. /// /// Therefore, you should check for errors from PostWork and destroy any /// associated memory to avoid leaks. If you're using the C++ /// CompletionCallbackFactory, use the following pattern: /// @code /// pp::CompletionCallback callback = factory_.NewOptionalCallback(...); /// int32_t result = message_loop.PostWork(callback); /// if (result != PP_OK) /// callback.Run(result); /// @endcode /// This will run the callback with an error value, and assumes that the /// implementation of your callback checks the "result" argument and returns /// immediately on error. class MessageLoop : public Resource { public: /// Creates an is_null() MessageLoop resource. MessageLoop(); /// Creates a message loop associated with the given instance. The resource /// will be is_null() on failure. /// /// This may be called from any thread. After your thread starts but before /// issuing any other PPAPI calls on it, you must associate it with a message /// loop by calling AttachToCurrentThread. explicit MessageLoop(const InstanceHandle& instance); MessageLoop(const MessageLoop& other); /// Takes an additional ref to the resource. explicit MessageLoop(PP_Resource pp_message_loop); static MessageLoop GetForMainThread(); static MessageLoop GetCurrent(); /// Sets the given message loop resource as being the associated message loop /// for the currently running thread. /// /// You must call this function exactly once on a thread before making any /// PPAPI calls. A message loop can only be attached to one thread, and the /// message loop can not be changed later. The message loop will be attached /// as long as the thread is running or until you quit with should_destroy /// set to PP_TRUE. /// /// If this function fails, attempting to run the message loop will fail. /// Note that you can still post work to the message loop: it will get queued /// up should the message loop eventually be successfully attached and run. /// /// @return /// - PP_OK: The message loop was successfully attached to the thread and is /// ready to use. /// - PP_ERROR_BADRESOURCE: The given message loop resource is invalid. /// - PP_ERROR_INPROGRESS: The current thread already has a message loop /// attached. This will always be the case for the main thread, which has /// an implicit system-created message loop attached. /// - PP_ERROR_WRONG_THREAD: The current thread type can not have a message /// loop attached to it. See the interface level discussion about these /// special threads, which include realtime audio threads. int32_t AttachToCurrentThread(); /// Runs the thread message loop. Running the message loop is required for /// you to get issued completion callbacks on the thread. /// /// The message loop identified by the argument must have been previously /// successfully attached to the current thread. /// /// You may not run nested message loops. Since the main thread has an /// implicit message loop that the system runs, you may not call Run on the /// main thread. /// /// @return /// - PP_OK: The message loop was successfully run. Note that on /// success, the message loop will only exit when you call PostQuit(). /// - PP_ERROR_BADRESOURCE: The given message loop resource is invalid. /// - PP_ERROR_WRONG_THREAD: You are attempting to run a message loop that /// has not been successfully attached to the current thread. Call /// AttachToCurrentThread(). /// - PP_ERROR_INPROGRESS: You are attempting to call Run in a nested /// fashion (Run is already on the stack). This will occur if you attempt /// to call run on the main thread's message loop (see above). int32_t Run(); /// Schedules work to run on the given message loop. This may be called from /// any thread. Posted work will be executed in the order it was posted when /// the message loop is Run(). /// /// @param callback A pointer to the completion callback to execute from the /// message loop. /// /// @param delay_ms The number of milliseconds to delay execution of the given /// completion callback. Passing 0 means it will get queued normally and /// executed in order. /// /// /// The completion callback will be called with PP_OK as the "result" /// parameter if it is run normally. It is good practice to check for PP_OK /// and return early otherwise. /// /// The "required" flag on the completion callback is ignored. If there is an /// error posting your callback, the error will be returned from PostWork and /// the callback will never be run (because there is no appropriate place to /// run your callback with an error without causing unexpected threading /// problems). If you associate memory with the completion callback (for /// example, you're using the C++ CompletionCallbackFactory), you will need to /// free this or manually run the callback. See "Desctruction and error /// handling" above. /// /// /// You can call this function before the message loop has started and the /// work will get queued until the message loop is run. You can also post /// work after the message loop has exited as long as should_destroy was /// PP_FALSE. It will be queued until the next invocation of Run(). /// /// @return /// - PP_OK: The work was posted to the message loop's queue. As described /// above, this does not mean that the work has been or will be executed /// (if you never run the message loop after posting). /// - PP_ERROR_BADRESOURCE: The given message loop resource is invalid. /// - PP_ERROR_BADARGUMENT: The function pointer for the completion callback /// is null (this will be the case if you pass PP_BlockUntilComplete()). /// - PP_ERROR_FAILED: The message loop has been destroyed. int32_t PostWork(const CompletionCallback& callback, int64_t delay_ms = 0); /// Posts a quit message to the given message loop's work queue. Work posted /// before that point will be processed before quitting. /// /// This may be called on the message loop registered for the current thread, /// or it may be called on the message loop registered for another thread. It /// is an error to attempt to quit the main thread loop. /// /// @param should_destroy Marks the message loop as being in a destroyed /// state and prevents further posting of messages. /// /// If you quit a message loop without setting should_destroy, it will still /// be attached to the thread and you can still run it again by calling Run() /// again. If you destroy it, it will be detached from the current thread. /// /// @return /// - PP_OK: The request to quit was successfully posted. /// - PP_ERROR_BADRESOURCE: The message loop was invalid. /// - PP_ERROR_WRONG_THREAD: You are attempting to quit the main thread. /// The main thread's message loop is managed by the system and can't be /// quit. int32_t PostQuit(bool should_destroy); }; } // namespace pp #endif // PPAPI_CPP_MESSAGE_LOOP_H_