The thread_local scope tells the compiler to create one unique version of a variable per thread. Then you can access it without worrying at all about in what thread you are. (Grammar Nazis, help me out here. I think I got that right…) It is absolutely genius for making multi threaded programming that much easier. W00t.

UPDATE: of course, every razor blade comes with its share of nicks. In this case, the expectation that different objects in the same thread would still have different thread_local members. Nope! Vet your ideas before you change to this scope too fast! Me, I’m all better now, and still love it. Good luck girls and boys.