CreateMutex.md

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Function name : CreateMutex

Group: Synchronization - Library: kernel32

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Creates or opens a named or unnamed mutex object.

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Code examples:

Using shared memory to exchange data between applications (processes)

Declaration:

HANDLE CreateMutex(
	LPSECURITY_ATTRIBUTES lpMutexAttributes,
	BOOL bInitialOwner,
	LPCTSTR lpName
);  

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FoxPro declaration:

DECLARE INTEGER CreateMutex IN kernel32;
	INTEGER lpMutexAttributes,;
	INTEGER bInitialOwner,;
	STRING  lpName  

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Parameters:

lpMutexAttributes [in] Pointer to a SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES structure that determines whether the returned handle can be inherited by child processes. If lpMutexAttributes is NULL, the handle cannot be inherited.

bInitialOwner [in] If this value is TRUE and the caller created the mutex, the calling thread obtains initial ownership of the mutex object.

lpName [in] Pointer to a null-terminated string specifying the name of the mutex object. If lpName is NULL, the mutex object is created without a name.

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Return value:

If the function succeeds, the return value is a handle to the newly created mutex object.

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Comments:

If the mutex is a named mutex and the object existed before this function call, the return value is a handle to the existing object and GetLastError returns ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS.

See also: ReleaseMutex, CloseHandle, CreateSemaphore, WaitForSingleObject.

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