What is wrong with my thread program? - c++

Question

I have the following code that is supposed to process ever wile with a .NEF extension.
#include <iostream>
#include <regex>
#include <pthread.h>
#include <dirent.h>
using namespace std;
void *workHorse(void*);
int main (int argc, char *argv[]){
pthread_t t1;
int rc, pos1;
DIR *dir;
struct dirent *ent;
regex e("(.*)(\\.)(NEF|nef)");
if ((dir = opendir (".")) != NULL) {
string fn1;
while ((ent = readdir (dir))!=NULL){
fn1.assign(ent->d_name);
if (regex_match ( fn1, e )){
cout<<"F :"<<fn1.c_str()<<" "<<endl;
if (rc=pthread_create( &t1, NULL, &workHorse, (void*)&fn1)){
cout<<"Error creating threads "<<rc<<endl;
exit(-1);
}
}
}
}
return 0;
}
void *workHorse(void *fileName){
int ret;
cout<<"W :"<<((string*)fileName)->c_str()<<endl;
pthread_exit(NULL);
}
There is just one file with .NEF extension in the directory. My expected output is -
F :DSC_0838.NEF
W :DSC_0838.NEF
However, I get
F :DSC_0838.NEF
W :RGBbmp.bmp
RGBbmp.bmp is another file in the same directory. What is wrong with my code? Why does it not work as expected?
The above code was compiled using -
g++ tmp.cpp -pthread --std=c++11

Answer 1

fn1's address is shared between the main thread and the secondary p_thread you create.
While the new thread is bootstrapping, the main thread changes the value in 'fn1' memory address, and the secondary thread reads the name of a different file (because in the main thread fn1 now has a new value).
You need to create a copy of the string you pass to the secondary thread, or you need to syncrhonize your read/write, I would recommend the former since it is way easier.
In this line:
if (rc=pthread_create( &t1, NULL, &workHorse, (void*)&fn1))
You are passing the address of fn1, the value then is changed in the main loop to some other file names, and by the time the tread comes up, it is now in RGBbmp.bmp