C / C++ / MFC

void foo()
{
  data d;
  // fill d;
  CreateThread(...,&d,...)
}

void foo()
{
  data* d=new data;
  // fill d;
  CreateThread(...,d,...)
}

MyThread(LPVOID arg)
{
  data * d=(data *)arg;
  ...
  delete d; // d no longer needed.
  ...
}

void foo()
{
  data* d=new data;
  // fill d;
  if(!CreateThread(...,d,...)){
    delete d; // no thread launched, clean up the mess ourselves
  }
}

char szBuffer[256];
mciSendString("status cdaudio media present", szBuffer, sizeof(szBuffer), NULL);
TRACE("szBuffer = ]%s[\n", szBuffer);

#include <windows.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
 
bool drive_present(const char letter)
{
  char nul_file[]="#:\\NUL";
  nul_file[0]=letter;
 
  DWORD error_mode=::SetErrorMode(0);
  ::SetErrorMode(error_mode|SEM_FAILCRITICALERRORS);
 
  struct _stat st;
  int res=_stat(nul_file,&st)==0;
 
  ::SetErrorMode(error_mode);
    
  return res!=0;
}

bool bContinue = true;

while (true == bContinue)
{
    // read port
    // ...
    // if situation warrants, set bContinue = false
}

return 0; // this line will cause the thread to exit normally

BOOL TerminateThread(
  HANDLE hThread,    // handle to the thread
  DWORD dwExitCode   // exit code for the thread
);

//assumes your bTerminateFlag variable is defined elsewhere - you'd
//probably actually do this with some sort of class, and pass a pointer
//to the class instance to your thread function, but I'm keeping this simple
extern bool bTerminateFlag;
 
int YourThreadFunction(LPVOID pParam)
{
    while (!bTerminateFlag)
    {
        do_something...
    }
    return exit_code;
}

int TerminateWorkerThread(HANDLE hWorker)
{
    bTerminateFlag = true;
    if (WaitForSingleObject(hWorker, INFINITE)!=WAIT_OBJECT_0)
    {
        //an error has occurred
        //handle it somehow
    }
    else
    {
        return GetExitCodeThread(hWorker);
    }
}