skaller wrote:
> Is there an Ocaml eqivalent of begin/end blocking section?
> I.e. something that sets the global lock if threads
> are enabled (but still compiles if they're not)?

You can use camlp4's pa_ifdef.cmo to create a global mutex only if 
threads are enabled.  The utility functions below take care of this, as 
well as unlocking the mutex if an exception is thrown.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
(* Implements try-with-finally. *)
let run_with_finally ~f ~(finally: unit -> unit) =
   let res =
     try
       f ()
     with e ->
       finally ();
       raise e
   in
     finally ();
     res ;;

(* Locks a mutex, calls a function, then unlocks the mutex.  The mutex
    is also unlocked if the function throws an exception. *)
ifdef THREADS then
   let run_in_mutex ~f ~(mutex : Mutex.t) =
     Mutex.lock mutex;
     run_with_finally ~f ~finally:(function () -> Mutex.unlock mutex) ;;

(* If threads are enabled, creates a mutex, otherwise returns unit. *)
let create_optional_mutex () =
   (ifdef THREADS then
      Mutex.create ()
    else
      ()) ;;

(* Calls a function, using the supplied mutex if threads are enabled. *)
let run_in_optional_mutex ~f ~mutex =
   (ifdef THREADS then
      run_in_mutex ~f ~mutex
    else
      f ()) ;;
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Example usage:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
let hash_mutex = create_optional_mutex () ;;

let add_to_hash h k v =
   run_in_optional_mutex
     ~f:(function () ->
         if Hashtbl.mem h k then () else Hashtbl.add h k v)
     ~mutex:hash_mutex ;;
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ben

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