Managing Multiple Threads Using Contexts

A number of SDK operations require multiple, sequential calls to the SDK routines. To manage this, the SDK provides the caller with a pointer to an opaque data structure called a context. This mechanism allows for management of state information across calls to the SDK. Use of the contexts allows multiple threads within a single program to make simultaneous calls to the same SDK routine. The only limitation is that a single, specific context may not be simultaneously used by different threads in calls to the SDK. When such usage is detected in an SDK call, an MTA_THREAD error results.

In some cases these contexts are automatically created for you, such as dequeue and decode contexts. In all other cases, for example for enqueue contexts, you must make an explicit call to create them. The calls that automatically create contexts also automatically dispose of them. In all other cases, a call must be made to explicitly dispose of a context. It is important to dispose of contexts when you no longer need them as so doing releases resources such as virtual memory.

For more information on contexts, see Threads and Enqueue Contexts and Threads and Dequeue Contexts.