Find answers to common SP8D questions about browser support, diagnostics, backpressure, async iteration, and troubleshooting for high-performance JavaScript and Node.js messaging.
SP8D FAQ: Troubleshooting, Diagnostics & Concurrency in JavaScript & Node.js
Frequently Asked Questions
SharedArrayBuffer & Browser Support
Q: Why do I get “Cannot use SharedArrayBuffer” or see errors about browser support?
A: Your browser or environment may lack SharedArrayBuffer/Atomics support, or you may need special headers (COOP/COEP). See installation requirements.
Diagnostics & Live Monitoring
Q: How do I use diagnostics or monitor channel health?
A: See the Protocol Internals: Architecture Overview for the canonical explanation of diagnostics, observability, and live monitoring in SP8D. For API usage, see the Channel API Reference.
Backpressure & Buffer Full
Q: What should I do if the channel is full or backpressured?
A: See Fairness & Backpressure for the canonical, in-depth guide to backpressure, fairness, and buffer full handling in SP8D. This is the best resource for understanding and resolving these issues.
Protocol Errors & Debugging
Q: What do protocol errors or slot conflicts mean?
A: See the Protocol Internals: Architecture Overview for protocol error handling, slot conflicts, and recovery mechanisms.
Async Iteration & Patterns
Q: Can I use async iteration with channels?
A: Yes, channels support async iteration for event-driven consumption.
Broadcasting & MPMC
Q: How do I broadcast or use MPMC patterns?
A: Use MPMC mode for multi-producer/multi-consumer. See concurrency models for details.
What is the ABA Problem?
The ABA problem is a classic bug in lock-free programming. It occurs when a memory location is changed from value A to B and back to A between two checks, making it appear unchanged to a thread using compare-and-swap (CAS). This can lead to subtle, hard-to-detect errors.
How does SP8D prevent ABA?
SP8D uses a generation (cycle) tag for each slot. This tag increments every time a slot is reclaimed or wraps around, so even if the slot’s status returns to its original value, the generation tag will be different. This ensures that CAS operations are always safe and reliable.
Slot State Machine & Protocol Internals
For a complete explanation of the slot state machine—including slot lifecycle, state transitions, atomic operations, fairness, and recovery—see the Slot State Machine documentation.
General
Q: Still stuck or have another question?
A: Open an issue or check the docs for more details.