RTT::Activity Class Reference
[Activity (thread) classes.]

An Activity is an object that represents a thread. More...

#include <rtt/Activity.hpp>

Inheritance diagram for RTT::Activity:

Public Types
typedef boost::shared_ptr < ActivityInterface >	shared_ptr
Public Member Functions
	Activity (RunnableInterface *r=0, const std::string &name="Activity")
	Create a not real-time Activity.
	Activity (int priority, Seconds period=0.0, RunnableInterface *r=0, const std::string &name="Activity")
	Create a real-time Activity with a given priority and period.
	Activity (int scheduler, int priority, Seconds period, RunnableInterface *r=0, const std::string &name="Activity")
	Create an Activity with a given scheduler type, priority and period.
virtual	~Activity ()
	Stops and terminates a Activity.
virtual bool	start ()
	Start the activity.
virtual bool	execute ()
	Execute this activity such that it executes a step or loop of the RunnableInterface.
virtual bool	trigger ()
	Trigger that work has to be done.
virtual bool	stop ()
	Stop the activity This will stop the activity by removing it from the 'run-queue' of a thread or call RunnableInterface::breakLoop().
virtual bool	isRunning () const
	Query if the activity is initialized and executing.
virtual bool	isActive () const
	Query if the activity is started.
virtual bool	isPeriodic () const
	Inspect if this activity is periodic.
virtual Seconds	getPeriod () const
	Get the periodicity of this activity in Seconds.
virtual bool	setPeriod (Seconds period)
	Set the periodicity in Seconds.
virtual OS::ThreadInterface *	thread ()
	Returns a pointer to the thread which will run this activity.
virtual bool	initialize ()
virtual void	step ()
virtual void	loop ()
virtual bool	breakLoop ()
virtual void	finalize ()
bool	run (int)
	Run another (or self in case of null) task.
virtual bool	run (RunnableInterface *r)
	Run exclusively this RunnableInterface.
virtual bool	run (OS::RunnableInterface *r)
	Run the functionality of one RunnableInterface object.
bool	setPeriod (secs s, nsecs ns)
	Set the periodicity of this thread (seconds, nanoseconds).
bool	setPeriod (TIME_SPEC p)
	Set the periodicity of this thread.
void	getPeriod (secs &s, nsecs &ns) const
	Get the periodicity of this thread (seconds, nanoseconds).
virtual nsecs	getPeriodNS () const
	Get the periodicity in nanoseconds.
virtual const char *	getName () const
	Read the name of this task.
virtual RTOS_TASK *	getTask ()
	Get the RTOS_TASK pointer.
virtual bool	setScheduler (int sched_type)
	Change the scheduler policy in which this thread runs.
virtual int	getScheduler () const
	Get the scheduler policy in which this thread runs.
virtual bool	setPriority (int priority)
	Set the priority of this Thread.
virtual int	getPriority () const
	The priority of this Thread.
virtual void	yield ()
	Yields (put to the back of the scheduler queue) the calling thread.
void	setMaxOverrun (int m)
int	getMaxOverrun () const
unsigned int	threadNumber () const
	The unique thread number (within the same process).
Static Public Member Functions
static void	setStackSize (unsigned int ssize)
	Sets the stack size of the threads to be created.
Protected Member Functions
void	disableRun (RunnableInterface *caller)
	This method is only meant for RunnableInterface (ie runner) in order to inform the ActivityInterface it should no longer be used.
void	terminate ()
	Exit and destroy the thread.
void	emergencyStop ()
Protected Attributes
RunnableInterface *	runner
int	threadnb
	Threads are given an unique number, which follows thread creation order.
Friends
class	RunnableInterface

Detailed Description

An Activity is an object that represents a thread.

This object implements the ActivityInterface and maps that to an OS thread, using the RTT::OS::Thread class. One Activity object maps to one OS thread. It can execute periodically the step() function or the loop() function in case of non-periodic execution.

When provided one, it will execute a RunnableInterface object, or the equivalent methods in it's own interface when none is given.

Definition at line 23 of file Activity.hpp.

Constructor & Destructor Documentation

RTT::Activity::Activity	(	RunnableInterface *	r = `0`,
		const std::string &	name = `"Activity"`
	)

Create a not real-time Activity.

This creates a not real-time, non-periodic thread.

Parameters:

	_r	The optional runner, if none, this->loop() is called.
	name	The name of the underlying thread.

RTT::Activity::Activity	(	int	priority,
		Seconds	period = `0.0`,
		RunnableInterface *	r = `0`,
		const std::string &	name = `"Activity"`
	)

Create a real-time Activity with a given priority and period.

The thread is run in the ORO_SCHED_RT scheduler.

Parameters:

	priority	The priority of this activity.
	period	The periodicity of the Activity. A zero is interpreted as non periodic.
	r	The optional RunnableInterface to run exclusively within this Activity
	name	The name of the underlying thread.

RTT::Activity::Activity	(	int	scheduler,
		int	priority,
		Seconds	period,
		RunnableInterface *	r = `0`,
		const std::string &	name = `"Activity"`
	)

Create an Activity with a given scheduler type, priority and period.

Parameters:

	scheduler	The scheduler in which the activity's thread must run. Use ORO_SCHED_OTHER or ORO_SCHED_RT.
	priority	The priority of this activity.
	period	The periodicity of the Activity
	r	The optional RunnableInterface to run exclusively within this Activity
	name	The name of the underlying thread.

Member Function Documentation

virtual bool RTT::Activity::breakLoop ( ) [virtual]

See also:: RunnableInterface::breakLoop()

Reimplemented from RTT::OS::Thread.

void RTT::ActivityInterface::disableRun ( RunnableInterface * caller ) [inline, protected, inherited]

This method is only meant for RunnableInterface (ie runner) in order to inform the ActivityInterface it should no longer be used.

run(0) can not be used in this case because it would recurse.

Definition at line 73 of file ActivityInterface.hpp.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::execute ( ) [virtual]

Execute this activity such that it executes a step or loop of the RunnableInterface.

When you invoke execute() you intend to call the step() or loop() methods. Some activity implementations allow a user controlled execute, others ignore it, in which case execute() returns false.

Semantics: If execute() returns true, the activity has been executed exactly once during execute().

Return values:

	true	When this->isActive() and the implementation allows external executes.
	false	When !this->isActive() or the implementation does not allow external updating.

See also:: trigger() for use in callbacks which want execute() to be executed.

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual void RTT::Activity::finalize ( ) [virtual]

See also:: RunnableInterface::finalize()

Reimplemented from RTT::OS::Thread.

virtual Seconds RTT::Activity::getPeriod ( ) const [virtual]

Get the periodicity of this activity in Seconds.

Returns:: The execution period of this activity (zero if !this->isPeriodic() ).

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual nsecs RTT::OS::Thread::getPeriodNS ( ) const [virtual, inherited]

Get the periodicity in nanoseconds.

Return zero if non periodic.

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

virtual int RTT::OS::Thread::getPriority ( ) const [virtual, inherited]

The priority of this Thread.

Returns:: The priority given upon construction of this thread or set with setPriority. The returned number has to be interpreted in the current OS scheduler.

See also:: setScheduler

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

virtual int RTT::OS::Thread::getScheduler ( ) const [virtual, inherited]

Get the scheduler policy in which this thread runs.

Returns:: An OS-specific value which represents the used scheduler.

See also:: setScheduler

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

virtual RTOS_TASK* RTT::OS::Thread::getTask ( ) [inline, virtual, inherited]

Get the RTOS_TASK pointer.

Note:: Using this function leads to non-portable code. It is here for users which wish to tweak OS specific thread settings.

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

Definition at line 183 of file Thread.hpp.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::initialize ( ) [virtual]

See also:: RunnableInterface::initialize()

Reimplemented from RTT::OS::Thread.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::isActive ( ) const [virtual]

Query if the activity is started.

This is less strict than isRunning(), it is true during initialize(), step() or loop() and finalize(). Use this method to check if an activity was start()ed.

Returns:: true if it is active, false otherwise

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::isPeriodic ( ) const [virtual]

Inspect if this activity is periodic.

If so, it will call RunnableInterface::step(). If the activity is not periodic, it will call RunnableInterface::loop().

Returns:: true if periodic.

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::isRunning ( ) const [virtual]

Query if the activity is initialized and executing.

This is more strict than isActive(), it is only true after initialize() is executed and before finalize() is executed. More-over, an Activity may decide to be temporarily not running (not executing code), waiting for a signal to proceed. If this->isActive() and !this->isRunning() then the Activity is in a waiting state.

Returns:: true if it is running, false otherwise

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual void RTT::Activity::loop ( ) [virtual]

See also:: RunnableInterface::loop()

Reimplemented from RTT::OS::Thread.

virtual bool RTT::OS::Thread::run ( OS::RunnableInterface * r ) [virtual, inherited]

Run the functionality of one RunnableInterface object.

Only one RunnableInterface object can be run, the old one is disconnected.

Parameters:

r

The object to run or zero to clear.

Returns:: true if accepted, false if the thread is running.

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

virtual bool RTT::ActivityInterface::run ( RunnableInterface * r ) [virtual, inherited]

Run exclusively this RunnableInterface.

Precondition:: this->isRunning() == false

Parameters:

r

The RunnableInterface to run exclusively.

Returns:: true if succeeded, false otherwise

Referenced by RTT::NonPeriodicActivity::run().

bool RTT::Activity::run ( int ) [inline]

Run another (or self in case of null) task.

This overload is needed to redirect the call of run( 0 ) to the correct function.

Definition at line 109 of file Activity.hpp.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::setPeriod ( Seconds new_period ) [virtual]

Set the periodicity in Seconds.

Parameters:

new_period

A positive number expressing the period

Returns:: true if it was accepted, false otherwise.

Reimplemented from RTT::OS::Thread.

virtual bool RTT::OS::Thread::setPriority ( int priority ) [virtual, inherited]

Set the priority of this Thread.

Parameters:

priority

The priority given upon construction of this thread. It has to be interpreted in the current OS scheduler.

See also:: setScheduler

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

virtual bool RTT::OS::Thread::setScheduler ( int sched_type ) [virtual, inherited]

Change the scheduler policy in which this thread runs.

Parameters:

sched_type

An OS-specific value which selects a scheduler. Orocos requires that these two values are available:

ORO_SCHED_RT: Hint the OS that this thread should be scheduled as a priority or real-time process.
ORO_SCHED_OTHER: Hint the OS that this thread should not be scheduled as a priority or real-time process.

Your OS can in addition provide other sched_type's which map more naturally to the schedulers present. If your OS does not make a distinction between real-time and other, both values may map to the same scheduler type.

Returns:: true if the change could be made.

Implements RTT::OS::ThreadInterface.

static void RTT::OS::Thread::setStackSize ( unsigned int ssize ) [static, inherited]

Sets the stack size of the threads to be created.

This value is suggestive and may be altered or ignored by your operating system. Use zero to use the system's default.

Parameters:

ssize

the size of the stack in bytes

virtual bool RTT::Activity::start ( ) [virtual]

Start the activity.

This will call RunnableInterface::initialize() and upon success, effectively start the activity, by running the RunnableInterface::step() or RunnableInterface::loop() in a thread.

See also:: isPeriodic()

Returns:: true if the activity is started, false otherwise

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual void RTT::Activity::step ( ) [virtual]

See also:: RunnableInterface::step()

Reimplemented from RTT::OS::Thread.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::stop ( ) [virtual]

Stop the activity This will stop the activity by removing it from the 'run-queue' of a thread or call RunnableInterface::breakLoop().

If no errors occured, RunnableInterface::finalize() is called.

See also:: isPeriodic()

Returns:: true if the activity is stopped, false otherwise

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

void RTT::OS::Thread::terminate ( ) [protected, inherited]

Exit and destroy the thread.

Precondition:: this is only called from within the destructor.

Postcondition:: the thread does no longer exist.

virtual OS::ThreadInterface* RTT::Activity::thread ( ) [virtual]

Returns a pointer to the thread which will run this activity.

Will not be null.

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.

virtual bool RTT::Activity::trigger ( ) [virtual]

Trigger that work has to be done.

When you invoke trigger(), you intend to notify the mechanism that calls execute(), that execute() should be called. This allows a separation between actually executing code (execute()) and notifying that code must be executed (trigger()). A trigger may be ignored by the implementation, in which case trigger returns false.

Semantics: If trigger() returns true, the activity will be executed at least once from the moment trigger() is called.

Return values:

	true	When this->isActive() and the implementation allows external triggers.
	false	When !this->isActive() or the implementation does not allow external triggering.

Implements RTT::ActivityInterface.