Concurrent Programming

In the past, concurrent programming has been principally associated with operating systems, but this is now changing very rapidly with concurrent programming techniques being introduced in real-time applications, such as industrial control and with concurrent languages like Portal, Modula-2 and Ada becoming more widely available. This book examines the problems associated with concurrent programming in a clear and well-organized fashion, beginning with the notion of a 'process' and then going on to introduce the tools which have been developed in order to ensure mutual exclusion and achieve synchronization. Throughout, the techniques described are illustrated by practical examples using the three languages, Portal, Modula-2 and Ada and there is a detailed discussion of the concurrent aspects of each - monitors in the case of Portal and rendez-vous in that of Ada, while Modula-2, which does not offer any high-level synchronization tool, allows programmers to build their own favourite ones. The book concludes with substantial appendices showing how a realistic problem, the control of a digital clock, is solved using each of the three languages.
This book should be of interest to undergraduate students taking courses in operating systems and other applications requiring concurrent programming; computer professionals concerned with real-time systems.
 
In the past, concurrent programming has been principally associated with operating systems, but this is now changing very rapidly with concurrent programming techniques being introduced in real-time applications, such as industrial control and with concurrent languages like Portal, Modula-2 and Ada becoming more widely available. This book examines the problems associated with concurrent programming in a clear and well-organized fashion, beginning with the notion of a 'process' and then going on to introduce the tools which have been developed in order to ensure mutual exclusion and achieve synchronization. Throughout, the techniques described are illustrated by practical examples using the three languages, Portal, Modula-2 and Ada and there is a detailed discussion of the concurrent aspects of each - monitors in the case of Portal and rendez-vous in that of Ada, while Modula-2, which does not offer any high-level synchronization tool, allows programmers to build their own favourite ones. The book concludes with substantial appendices showing how a realistic problem, the control of a digital clock, is solved using each of the three languages.
This book should be of interest to undergraduate students taking courses in operating systems and other applications requiring concurrent programming; computer professionals concerned with real-time systems.