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What does "deadlock" mean in programming?

deadlock is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

A situation where two or more processes are waiting for each other to release a resource, and none of them can proceed. Deadlocks are permanent: neither process makes progress. Common in database transactions and multithreaded code when locks are acquired in inconsistent order.

Example

"Transaction A holds a lock on table Users and waits for Orders. Transaction B holds Orders and waits for Users. Classic deadlock."

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