ZMQ\_ATOMIC\_COUNTER\_D(3) 0MQ Manual ZMQ\_ATOMIC\_COUNTER\_D(3)

# [NAME](#NAME)

zmq\_atomic\_counter\_dec - decrement an atomic counter

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

**int zmq\_atomic\_counter\_dec (void \*counter);**

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

The *zmq\_atomic\_counter\_dec* function decrements an atomic counter in a threadsafe fashion. This function uses platform specific atomic operations.

# [RETURN VALUE](#RETURN_VALUE)

The *zmq\_atomic\_counter\_dec()* function returns 1 if the counter is greater than zero after decrementing, or zero if the counter reached zero.

# [EXAMPLE](#EXAMPLE)

**Test code for atomic counters**.

```
void *counter = zmq_atomic_counter_new ();
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_value (counter) == 0);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_inc (counter) == 0);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_inc (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_inc (counter) == 2);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_value (counter) == 3);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 0);
zmq_atomic_counter_set (counter, 2);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 1);
assert (zmq_atomic_counter_dec (counter) == 0);
zmq_atomic_counter_destroy (&counter);
return 0;
```

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**zmq\_atomic\_counter\_new**(3)](/man/os/zeromq/zmq_atomic_counter_new.3) [**zmq\_atomic\_counter\_set**(3)](/man/os/zeromq/zmq_atomic_counter_set.3) [**zmq\_atomic\_counter\_inc**(3)](/man/os/zeromq/zmq_atomic_counter_inc.3) [**zmq\_atomic\_counter\_value**(3)](/man/os/zeromq/zmq_atomic_counter_value.3) [**zmq\_atomic\_counter\_destroy**(3)](/man/os/zeromq/zmq_atomic_counter_destroy.3)

# [AUTHORS](#AUTHORS)

This page was written by the 0MQ community. To make a change please read the 0MQ Contribution Policy at **http://www.zeromq.org/docs:contributing**.

10/26/2026 0MQ 4.3.5

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Document: zmq_atomic_counter_dec(3) from zeromq 4.3.5-r15 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/zeromq/libzmq