Transactional Memory
Noun · Development
Definitions
A concurrency control mechanism that allows a block of memory read/write operations to execute atomically and in isolation — like a database transaction but for shared memory — automatically detecting conflicts and retrying, eliminating the need for explicit locks. Available as hardware (Intel TSX) or software (Haskell STM) implementations.
In plain English: A way for multiple threads to safely change shared data by treating memory updates like bank transactions — either all changes go through, or none do.
Example: "Haskell's STM lets us compose concurrent operations without deadlocks — if two transactions conflict, one just retries automatically."