== Why is this an issue?

Using compound operators as well as increments and decrements (and toggling, in the case of ``++boolean++``s) on primitive fields are not atomic operations. That is, they don't happen in a single step. For instance, when a ``++volatile++`` primitive field is incremented or decremented you run the risk of data loss if threads interleave in the steps of the update. Instead, use a guaranteed-atomic class such as ``++AtomicInteger++``, or synchronize the access.


=== Noncompliant code example

[source,java]
----
private volatile int count = 0;
private volatile boolean boo = false;

public void incrementCount() {
  count++;  // Noncompliant
}

public void toggleBoo(){
  boo = !boo;  // Noncompliant
}
----


=== Compliant solution

[source,java]
----
private AtomicInteger count = 0;
private boolean boo = false;

public void incrementCount() {
  count.incrementAndGet(); 
}

public synchronized void toggleBoo() {
  boo = !boo;
}
----


== Resources

* https://wiki.sei.cmu.edu/confluence/x/SjdGBQ[CERT, VNA02-J.] - Ensure that compound operations on shared variables are atomic


ifdef::env-github,rspecator-view[]

'''
== Implementation Specification
(visible only on this page)

=== Message

Use an "Atomic[Integer|Long]" for this field; its operations are atomic.


'''
== Comments And Links
(visible only on this page)

=== on 18 Jun 2015, 18:34:53 Nicolas Peru wrote:
Title was a bit ambiguous I let you modify it if you think it is a bit redundant.

=== on 18 Jun 2015, 18:36:55 Ann Campbell wrote:
Thank you [~nicolas.peru]. That's what I get for writing the title before I fully understand what the description should say. :)

=== on 19 Jun 2015, 15:50:31 Ann Campbell wrote:
\[~nicolas.peru] I just realized that in response to your 'redundant' comment I simply undid the change you had made. But at root, is there a 'safe' way to increment a ``++volatile++`` var?

=== on 13 Oct 2015, 08:06:59 Nicolas Peru wrote:
Modified title.

endif::env-github,rspecator-view[]