Why does start_routine for pthread_create return void* and take void*
From the documentation for pthread_create
:
The thread is created executing
start_routine
witharg
as its sole argument. If thestart_routine
returns, the effect is as if there was an implicit call topthread_exit()
using the return value ofstart_routine
as the exit status. Note that the thread in whichmain()
was originally invoked differs from this. When it returns frommain()
, the effect is as if there was an implicit call toexit()
using the return value ofmain()
as the exit status.
And pthread_exit
:
The
pthread_exit()
function terminates the calling thread and makes the valuevalue_ptr
available to any successfuljoin
with the terminating thread.
So if you do a pthread_join
on a thread, the pointer it returns is passed back to the joining thread, allowing you to transmit information from the dying thread to another, living thread.
From the spec:
If the
start_routine
returns, the effect is as if there was an implicit call topthread_exit()
using the return value ofstart_routine
as the exit status.