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<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
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<refentry id="glib-programming">
<refmeta>
<refentrytitle>Writing GLib Applications</refentrytitle>
<manvolnum>3</manvolnum>
<refmiscinfo>GLib Library</refmiscinfo>
</refmeta>

<refnamediv>
<refname>Writing GLib Applications</refname>
<refpurpose>
General considerations when programming with GLib
</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsect1>
<title>Writing GLib Applications</title>

<refsect2>
<title>Threads</title>

<para>
The general policy of GLib is that all functions are invisibly threadsafe
with the exception of data structure manipulation functions, where, if
you have two threads manipulating the <emphasis>same</emphasis> data
structure, they must use a lock to synchronize their operation.
</para>

<para>
GLib creates a worker thread for its own purposes so GLib applications
will always have at least 2 threads.
</para>

<para>
See the sections on <link linkend="glib-Threads">threads</link> and
<link linkend="glib-Thread-Pools">threadpools</link> for GLib APIs that
support multithreaded applications.
</para>

</refsect2>

<refsect2>
<title>Security</title>

<para>
When writing code that runs with elevated privileges, it is important
to follow some basic rules of secure programming. David Wheeler has an
excellent book on this topic,
<ulink url="http://www.dwheeler.com/secure-programs/Secure-Programs-HOWTO/index.html">Secure Programming for Linux and Unix HOWTO</ulink>.
</para>

<para>
When it comes to GLib and its associated libraries, GLib and
GObject are generally fine to use in code that runs with elevated
privileges; they don't load modules (executable code in shared objects)
or run other programs 'behind your back'. GIO has to be used
carefully in privileged programs, see the <ulink url="http://developer.gnome.org/gio/stable/ch02.html">GIO documentation</ulink> for details.
</para>

</refsect2>

</refsect1>

</refentry>