Jonathan de Boyne Pollard wrote in a message to Mike Bilow:

  > In my opinion, DosEnterCritSec() is appropriate where [...]
  >                         Many C language run-time libraries
  > must stop all threads in the process at some point, often
  > inside low-level routines such as malloc().

 JdBP>   If the C runtime uses DosEnterCritSec to protect its heap,
 JdBP> then send it   back to the manufacturer!  There is *no*
 JdBP> reason to stop processing a   thread that is doing something
 JdBP> totally unrelated to the heap if another   thread calls
 JdBP> malloc().

I agree that semaphores may be a better approach in most instances, but I
think that short critical sections may end up giving more robust code.

 JdBP>   Even Borland C++ for OS/2 uses semaphores for heap
 JdBP> management. 

Borland actually has an extremely unusual heap management system.

 JdBP>   I'm with Peter.  There are almost *no* situations where
 JdBP> use of   DosEnterCritSec is justified.

I suppose I could agree on "almost no" situations.
 
-- Mike


---