Naming Convention for the Threads Library
The identifiers used by the threads library follow a strict naming convention. All identifiers of the threads library begin with pthread_.
User programs should not use this prefix for private identifiers. This prefix is followed by a component name. The following components are defined in the threads library:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| pthread_ | Threads themselves and miscellaneous subroutines |
| pthread_attr | Thread attributes objects |
| pthread_cond | Condition variables |
| pthread_condattr | Condition attributes objects |
| pthread_key | Thread-specific data keys |
| pthread_mutex | Mutexes |
| pthread_mutexattr | Mutex attributes objects |
Data type identifiers end with _t. Subroutine and macro names end with an _ (underscore), followed by a name identifying the action performed by the subroutine or the macro. For example, pthread_attr_init is a threads library identifier (pthread_) that concerns thread attributes objects (attr) and is an initialization subroutine (_init).
Explicit macro identifiers are in uppercase letters. Some subroutines may, however, be implemented as macros, although their names are in lowercase letters.