and Java’s <code>volatile</code> variables.
</p>

<h3 id="finalizer">Finalizers</h3>

<p>
The <a href="/pkg/runtime/"><code>runtime</code></a> package provides
a <code>SetFinalizer</code> function that adds a finalizer to be called when
a particular object is no longer reachable by the program.
A call to <code>SetFinalizer(x, f)</code> is synchronized before the finalization call <code>f(x)</code>.
</p>

Here's how the 386 runtime defines the 64-bit atomic load function.
</p>

<pre>
// uint64 atomicload64(uint64 volatile* addr);
// so actually
// void atomicload64(uint64 *res, uint64 volatile *addr);
TEXT runtime·atomicload64(SB), NOSPLIT, $0-12
	MOVL	ptr+0(FP), AX
	TESTL	$7, AX
	JZ	2(PC)
	MOVL	0, AX // crash with nil ptr deref
	LEAL	ret_lo+4(FP), BX