TTripleBufferedData

A lock free paradigm for sharing data between threads.

Called a triple buffer because at any point in time, there may be 3 buffers available: 1 owned by the producing thread, 1 owned by the consuming thread, and 1 waiting in an atomic variable. The third storage location enables transfer of ownership such that if you have a copy of the data, you own it without worry of contention.

Producer thread: structAnimXf{TArray<FTransform>Xf;TArray<FVector>Velocity;};structMyProducer{MyConsumerConsumer;//Ownsthetriplebuffer.AnimXf*Buffer=nullptr;//Thisfunctioniscalledrepeatedlyatsomeintervalbytheproducingthread.voidProduce(){//Getanewbufferifweneedone.if(!Buffer)Buffer=Consumer.AnimXfTripleBuffer.ExchangeProducerBuffer();//ThisclassnowhasexclusiveownershipofthememorypointedtobyBuffer.Buffer->Xf=...;Buffer->Velocity=...;//Pushthenewvaluestotheconsumer,andgetanewbufferfornexttime.Buffer=Consumer.AnimXfTripleBuffer.ExchangeProducerBuffer();}};

Consumer thread: structMyConsumer{//Inthisexampletheconsumerownsthetriplebuffer,butthat's//notarequirement.TTripleBufferedData<AnimXf>AnimXfTripleBuffer;AnimXf*Buffer=nullptr;//Thisfunctioniscalledrepeatedlyatsomeintervalbytheconsumingthread.voidConsume(){//Getanewviewofthedata,whichcanbenullorold.Buffer=AnimXfTripleBuffer.ExchangeAnimXfConsumerBuffer();//ThisclassnowhasexclusiveownershipofthememorypointedtobyBuffer.if(Buffer){...=Buffer->Xf;...=Buffer->Velocity;}}};