4.3.1 General requirements

A library's designer is responsible for documenting which features of the library offer built-in synchronization and which do not. While there is no definitive rule that can assist designers in this documentation, the following guidelines may be useful.

If a client of the library forgets to use a synchronization feature when one is necessary, the library designer should ensure that the effect of the lack of synchronization is limited to a small unit -- probably a single object. In cases where the designer cannot guarantee that the effect will be limited, the library should either implement the synchronization internally, or provide a macro for clients to use instead.

Library implementors must ensure that the library provides implicit synchronization for any hidden global state which is maintained by the library. Library designers may choose whether the library should offer implicit synchronization of the state of objects managed by the library. The interface is more convenient if the synchronization is implicit, but it may be more efficient to rely on explicit synchronization by the client. Library designers should always document the choice they make.

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Common Dylan and Functional Extensions - 31 Mar 00