= zmq_atomic_counter_new(3)


== NAME
zmq_atomic_counter_new - create a new atomic counter


== SYNOPSIS
*void *zmq_atomic_counter_new (void);*


== DESCRIPTION
The _zmq_atomic_counter_new_ function creates a new atomic counter. You
can use this in multithreaded applications to do, for example, reference
counting of shared objects. The atomic counter is at least 32 bits large.
This function uses platform specific atomic operations.


== RETURN VALUE
The _zmq_atomic_counter_new()_ function returns the new atomic counter
if successful. Otherwise it returns NULL.


== EXAMPLE
.Test code for atomic counters
----
void *counter = zmq_atomic_counter_new ();
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_value (counter) == 0);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_inc (counter) == 0);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_inc (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_inc (counter) == 2);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_value (counter) == 3);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 0);
zmq_atomic_counter_set (counter, 2);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 0);
zmq_atomic_counter_destroy (&counter);
return 0;
----


== SEE ALSO
* xref:zmq_atomic_counter_set.adoc[zmq_atomic_counter_set]
* xref:zmq_atomic_counter_inc.adoc[zmq_atomic_counter_inc]
* xref:zmq_atomic_counter_dec.adoc[zmq_atomic_counter_dec]
* xref:zmq_atomic_counter_value.adoc[zmq_atomic_counter_value]
* xref:zmq_atomic_counter_destroy.adoc[zmq_atomic_counter_destroy]


== AUTHORS
This page was written by the 0MQ community. To make a change please
read the 0MQ Contribution Policy at <http://www.zeromq.org/docs:contributing>.
