---
title: "Using later from C++"
author: "Mauricio Vargas Sepulveda"
date: "`r Sys.Date()`"
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---

# Using later from C++

You can call `later2::later` from C++ code in R packages. This is safe to call from either the main R thread or a different
thread, and for both cases the callback will be invoked from the main R thread.

To use the C++ interface, you will need to:

* Add `later` to the `DESCRIPTION` file, under both `LinkingTo` and `Imports`
* Make sure that the `NAMESPACE` file has an `import(later)` entry.
* Add `#include <later2_api.h>` to the top of each C++ file that uses the later API.

## Executing a C function later

The `later2::later` function is accessible from `later2_api.h` and its prototype looks like this:

```cpp
void later(void (*func)(void*), void* data, double secs)
```

The first argument is a pointer to a function that takes one `void*` argument and returns void. The second argument is a `void*`
that will be passed to the function when it is called back. And the third argument is the number of seconds to wait (at a minimum)
before invoking. In all cases, the function will be invoked on the R thread, when no user R code is executing.

## Background tasks

This package also offers a higher-level C++ helper class called `later2::BackgroundTask`, to make it easier to execute tasks on a
background thread. It takes care of launching the background thread for you, and returning control back to the R thread at a later
point. You are responsible for providing the actual code that executes on the background thread, as well as code that executes on
the R thread before and after the background task completes.

The public/protected interface looks like this:

```cpp
class BackgroundTask {

public:
  BackgroundTask();
  virtual ~BackgroundTask();

  // Start executing the task  
  void begin();

protected:
  // The task to be executed on the background thread.
  // Neither the R runtime nor any R data structures may be touched from the
  // background thread; any values that need to be passed into or out of the
  // Execute method must be included as fields on the Task subclass object.
  virtual void execute() = 0;
  
  // A short task that runs on the main R thread after the background task has
  // completed. It is safe to access the R runtime and R data structures from
  // here.
  virtual void complete() = 0;
}
```

Create your own subclass, implementing a custom constructor plus the `execute` and `complete` methods.

It is critical that the code in your `execute` method not mutate any R data structures, call any R code, or cause any R
allocations, as it will execute in a background thread where such operations are unsafe. You can, however, perform such operations
in the constructor (assuming you perform construction only from the main R thread) and `complete` method. Pass values between the
constructor and methods using fields.

```cpp
#include "cpp4r.hpp"
#include <later2_api.h>

using namespace cpp11;

class MyTask : public later2::BackgroundTask {
public:
  MyTask(doubles vec) :
    inputVals(as_cpp<std::vector<double> >(vec)) {
  }

protected:
  void execute() {
    double sum = 0;
    for (std::vector<double>::const_iterator it = inputVals.begin();
      it != inputVals.end();
      it++) {
      
      sum += *it;
    }
    result = sum / inputVals.size();
  }
  
  void complete() {
    Rprintf("Result is %f\n", result);
  }

private:
  std::vector<double> inputVals;
  double result;
};
```

To run the task, `new` up your subclass and call `begin()`, e.g. `(new MyTask(vec))->begin()`. There is no need to keep track of
the pointer, the task object will delete itself when the task is complete.

```r
[[cpp11::register]] void asyncMean(doubles data) {
  (new MyTask(data))->begin();
}
```