Module swym::tptr

A transactional memory primitive powering recursive data structures.

Motivation

Let's see what happens when we try to build a simple transactional box using only TCell.

use swym::{rw, tcell::TCell};
let x = TCell::new(Box::new(TCell::new(42)));

rw!(|tx| {
    let box_ref = x.borrow(tx, Default::default())?;

    // error borrowed value does not live long enough
    let fourty_two = box_ref.get(tx, Default::default())?;
    Ok(())
});

The problem is that data borrowed from any TCell (in the above example to outermost TCell) may not come from shared memory, but instead the write set - which is speculative. Values in the write set change throughout the course of a transaction, and may be overwritten.

TPtr is the current experimental workaround akin to a raw pointer, but capable of publishing and privatizing Box's.

EXPERIMENTAL

TPtr type may have safety issues, or other flaws. The API is subject to change.

Structs

Publisher
TPtr	Experimental building block for recursive data structures.