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# std::thread::thread

From cppreference.com
< cpp‎ | thread‎ | thread

thread(); | (1) | (since C++11)
thread( thread&& other ); | (2) | (since C++11)
template< class Function, class... Args > explicit thread( Function&& f, Args&&... args ); | (3) | (since C++11)
thread(const thread&) = delete; | (4) | (since C++11)

Constructs new thread object.

1) Creates new thread object which does not represent a thread.
2) Move constructor. Constructs the thread object to represent the thread of execution that was represented by `other`. After this call `other` no longer represents a thread of execution.
3) Creates new `std::thread` object and associates it with a thread of execution. First the constructor copies/moves all arguments `args...` to thread-accessible storage as if by the function:

    template <class T>
    typename decay<T>::type decay_copy(T&& v) {
        return std::forward<T>(v);
    }

Any exceptions thrown during evaluation and copying/moving of the arguments are thrown in the current thread, not the new thread.
The code that will be run in the new thread is defined as follows. Let's refer to `value_args` as `t1`, `t2`, ..., `tN`, where `N` is sizeof...(value_args)and `value_args` is the result of calling `decay_copy` as defined above. The following code will be run in the new thread:

- If `f` is pointer to a member function of class `T`, then it is called. The return value is ignored. Effectively, the following code is executed:

  - (t1.*f)(t2, ..., tN) if the type of `t1` is either `T`, reference to `T` or reference to type derived from `T`.
  - ((*t1).*f)(t2, ..., tN) otherwise.

- If N == 1 and `f` is pointer to a member data object of a class, then it is accessed. The value of the object is ignored. Effectively, the following code is executed:

  - t1.*f if and the type of `t1` is either `T`, reference to `T` or reference to type derived from `T`.
  - (*t1).*f otherwise.

- `f` is called as a pointer to a non-member function in all other cases. The return value is ignored. Effectively, f(t1, t2, ..., tN) is executed.

(C++14) This constructor does not participate in overload resolution if std::decay<Function>::type is the same type as std::thread.
4) The copy constructor is deleted; threads are not copyable. No two `std::thread` objects may represent the same thread of execution.

### [edit] Parameters

other | - | another thread object to construct this thread object with
f | - | function to execute in the new thread
args... | - | arguments to pass to the new function

### [edit] Postconditions

1) get_id() equal to std::thread::id() (i.e. joinable is false)
2) other.get_id() equal to std::thread::id() and get_id() returns the value of other.get_id() prior to the start of construction
3) get_id() not equal to std::thread::id() (i.e. joinable is true)

### [edit] Exceptions

1-2)
`noexcept` specification:
noexcept
3) std::system_error if the thread could not be started. The exception may represent the error condition `std::errc::resource_unavailable_try_again` or another implementation-specific error condition.

### [edit] Notes

The arguments to the thread function are copied by value. If a reference argument needs to be passed to the thread function, it has to be wrapped (e.g. with std::ref or std::cref).

Any return value from the function is ignored. If the function throws an exception, std::terminate is called. In order to pass return values or exceptions back to the calling thread, std::promise or std::async may be used.

### [edit] Example

Run this code

    #include <iostream>
    #include <utility>
    #include <thread>
    #include <chrono>
    #include <functional>
    #include <atomic>

    void f1(int n)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
            std::cout << "Thread 1 executing\n";
            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
        }
    }

    void f2(int& n)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
            std::cout << "Thread 2 executing\n";
            ++n;
            std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::milliseconds(10));
        }
    }

    int main()
    {
        int n = 0;
        std::thread t1; // t1 is not a thread
        std::thread t2(f1, n + 1); // pass by value
        std::thread t3(f2, std::ref(n)); // pass by reference
        std::thread t4(std::move(t3)); // t4 is now running f2(). t3 is no longer a thread
        t2.join();
        t4.join();
        std::cout << "Final value of n is " << n << '\n';
    }

Possible output:

    Thread 1 executing
    Thread 2 executing
    Thread 1 executing
    Thread 2 executing
    Thread 1 executing
    Thread 2 executing
    Thread 1 executing
    Thread 2 executing
    Thread 1 executing
    Thread 2 executing
    Final value of n is 5

### [edit] References

- C++11 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2011):

  - 30.3.1.2 thread constructors [thread.thread.constr]

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