Multithreading in Java
1. Multithreading in java is a process of executing
multiple threads simultaneously.
2. Thread is basically a lightweight sub-process,
3. a smallest unit of processing.
4. Multiprocessing and multithreading, both are used to
achieve multitasking.
5. But we use multithreading than multiprocessing
because threads share a common memory area.
6. They don't allocate separate memory area so saves
memory, and context-switching between the threads
takes less time than process.
7. Java Multithreading is mostly used in games,
animation etc.
Advantages of Java Multithreading
1) It doesn't block the user because threads are
independent and you can perform multiple operations at
same time.
2) You can perform many operations together so it saves
time.
3) Threads are independent so it doesn't affect other
threads if exception occur in a single thread.
Multitasking
Multitasking is a process of executing multiple tasks
simultaneously.
We use multitasking to utilize the CPU.
Multitasking can be achieved by two ways:
o Process-based Multitasking(Multiprocessing)
o
o Thread-based Multitasking(Multithreading)
o
1) Process-based Multitasking (Multiprocessing)
o Each process have its own address in memory i.e.
each process allocates separate memory area.
o
o Process is heavyweight.
o
o Cost of communication between the process is high.
o
o Switching from one process to another require some
time for saving and loading registers, memory maps,
updating lists etc.
2) Thread-based Multitasking (Multithreading)
o Threads share the same address space.
o Thread is lightweight.
o Cost of communication between the thread is low.
o
Note:
At least one process is required for each thread.
What is Thread in java
A thread is a lightweight sub process, a smallest unit of
processing.
It is a separate path of execution.
Threads are independent, if there occurs exception in one
thread, it doesn't affect other threads.
It shares a common memory area.
As shown in the above figure,
thread is executed inside the process.
There is context-switching between the threads.
There can be multiple processes inside the OS and one
process can have multiple threads.
Note:
At a time one thread is executed only.
Java Thread class
Thread class is the main class on which java's
multithreading system is based.
Thread class provide constructors and methods to create
and perform operations on a thread.
Thread class extends Object class and implements
Runnable interface.
Java Thread Methods
S.N Modifi Method Description
. er and
Type
1 void run() It is used to perform
action for a thread.
2 void start() It starts the execution of
the thread. JVM calls the
run() method on the
thread.
3 static sleep(long It sleeps a thread for the
void miliseconds) specified amount of time.
4 void join(long It waits for a thread to
miliseconds) die.
5 Int getPriority() It returns the priority of
the thread.
6 void setPriority(int It changes the priority of
priority) the thread.
7 String getName() It returns the name of the
thread.
8 void setName(String It changes the name of
name) the thread.
9 static currentThread() It returns the reference
Threa of currently executing
d thread.
10 long getId() It returns the id of the
thread.
11 boole isAlive() It tests if the thread is
an alive.
12 static yield() It causes the currently
void executing thread object
to temporarily pause and
allow other threads to
execute.
13 void suspend() It is used to suspend the
thread.
14 void resume() It is used to resume the
suspended thread.
15 void stop() It is used to stop the
thread.
16 boole isDaemon() It tests if the thread is a
an daemon thread.
17 void setDaemon(Boo It marks the thread as
lean on) daemon or user thread.
18 void interrupt() It interrupts the thread.
19 static interrupted() It tests if the current
boole thread has been
an interrupted.
20 boole isInterrupted() It tests if the thread has
an been interrupted.
21 static activeCount() It returns the number of
int active threads in the
current thread's thread
group.
22 void checkAccess() It determines if the
currently running thread
has permission to modify
this thread.
23 prote clone() It returns a clone if the
cted class of this object is
Objec Cloneable.
t
24 static dumpStack() It is used to print a stack
void trace of the current
thread to the standard
error stream.
25 Threa getState() It is used to return the
d.Stat state of the thread.
e
26 Threa getThreadGroup It is used to return the
dGrou () thread group to which
p this thread belongs
27 String toString() It is used to return a
string representation of
this thread, including the
thread's name, priority,
and thread group.
Life cycle of a Thread (Thread States)
1. Life cycle of a thread
1. New
2. Runnable
3. Running
4. Non-Runnable (Blocked)
5. Terminated
A thread can be in one of the five states.
According to sun, there is only 4 states in thread life
cycle in java
new,
runnable,
non-runnable and
terminated.
There is no running state.
But for better understanding the threads, we are
explaining it in the 5 states.
The life cycle of the thread in java is controlled by JVM.
The java thread states are as follows:
1. New
2. Runnable
3. Running
4. Non-Runnable (Blocked)
5. Terminated
1) New
The thread is in new state if you create an instance of
Thread class but before the invocation of start() method.
2) Runnable
The thread is in runnable state after invocation of start()
method, but the thread scheduler has not selected it to be
the running thread.
3) Running
The thread is in running state if the thread scheduler has
selected it.
4) Non-Runnable (Blocked)
This is the state when the thread is still alive, but is
currently not eligible to run.
5) Terminated
A thread is in terminated or dead state when its run()
method exits.
How to create thread
There are two ways to create a thread:
1. By extending Thread class
2. By implementing Runnable interface.
Thread class:
Thread class provide constructors and methods to create
and perform operations on a thread .
Thread class extends Object class and implements
Runnable interface.
Commonly used Constructors of Thread class:
o Thread()
o Thread(String name)
o Thread(Runnable r)
o Thread(Runnable r,String name)
Commonly used methods of Thread class:
1. public void run():
is used to perform action for a thread.
2. public void start():
starts the execution of the thread. JVM calls the
run() method on the thread.
3. public void sleep(long miliseconds):
Causes the currently executing thread to sleep
(temporarily cease execution) for the specified
number of milliseconds.
4. public void join():
waits for a thread to die.
5. public void join(long miliseconds):
waits for a thread to die for the specified
miliseconds.
6. public int getPriority():
returns the priority of the thread.
7. public int setPriority(int priority):
changes the priority of the thread.
8. public String getName():
returns the name of the thread.
9. public void setName(String name):
changes the name of the thread.
10. public Thread currentThread():
returns the reference of currently executing thread.
11. public int getId():
returns the id of the thread.
12. public Thread.State getState():
returns the state of the thread.
13. public boolean isAlive():
tests if the thread is alive.
14. public void yield():
causes the currently executing thread object to
temporarily pause and allow other threads to
execute.
15. public void suspend():
is used to suspend the thread(depricated).
16. public void resume():
is used to resume the suspended thread(depricated).
17. public void stop():
is used to stop the thread(depricated).
18. public boolean isDaemon():
tests if the thread is a daemon thread.
19. public void setDaemon(boolean b):
marks the thread as daemon or user thread.
20. public void interrupt():
interrupts the thread.
21. public boolean isInterrupted():
tests if the thread has been interrupted.
22. public static boolean interrupted():
tests if the current thread has been interrupted.
Runnable interface:
The Runnable interface should be implemented by any
class whose instances are intended to be executed by a
thread.
Runnable interface have only one method named run().
1. public void run():
is used to perform action for a thread.
Starting a thread:
start() method of Thread class is used to start a newly
created thread.
It performs following tasks:
o A new thread starts(with new callstack).
o The thread moves from New state to the Runnable
state.
o When the thread gets a chance to execute, its target
run() method will run.
1) Java Thread Example by extending Thread class
class Multi extends Thread
{
public void run()
{
System.out.println("thread is running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
Multi t1=new Multi();
t1.start();
}
}
Output:
thread is running...
2) Java Thread Example by implementing Runnable interface
class Multi3 implements Runnable
{
public void run()
{
System.out.println("thread is running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
Multi3 m1=new Multi3();
Thread t1 =new Thread(m1);
t1.start();
}
}
Output:
thread is running...
If you are not extending the Thread class,
your class object would not be treated as a thread object.
So you need to explicitely create Thread class object.
We are passing the object of your class that implements
Runnable so that your class run() method may execute.
Thread Scheduler in Java
Thread scheduler in java is the part of the JVM that
decides which thread should run.
There is no guarantee that which runnable thread will be
chosen to run by the thread scheduler.
Only one thread at a time can run in a single process.
The thread scheduler mainly uses preemptive or time
slicing scheduling to schedule the threads.
Difference between preemptive scheduling and time slicing
Under preemptive scheduling,
the highest priority task executes until it enters the
waiting or dead states
or
a higher priority task comes into existence.
Under time slicing,
a task executes for a predefined slice of time and then
reenters the pool of ready tasks.
The scheduler then determines which task should execute
next, based on priority and other factors.
Sleep method in java
The sleep() method of Thread class is used to sleep a
thread for the specified amount of time.
Syntax of sleep() method in java
The Thread class provides two methods for sleeping a
thread:
o public static void sleep(long miliseconds)throws
InterruptedException
o public static void sleep(long miliseconds, int
nanos)throws InterruptedException
Example of sleep method in java
class TestSleepMethod1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
for(int i=1;i<5;i++){
try{
Thread.sleep(500);
}
catch(InterruptedException e){
System.out.println(e);
}
System.out.println(i);
}
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestSleepMethod1 t1=new TestSleepMethod1();
TestSleepMethod1 t2=new TestSleepMethod1();
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
As you know well that at a time only one thread is
executed.
If you sleep a thread for the specified time,the thread
shedular picks up another thread and so on.
Can we start a thread twice
No. After starting a thread, it can never be started again.
If you does so, an IllegalThreadStateException is thrown.
In such case, thread will run once but for second time, it
will throw exception.
Let's understand it by the example given below:
public class TestThreadTwice1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestThreadTwice1 t1=new TestThreadTwice1();
t1.start();
t1.start();
}
}
running
Exception in thread "main"
java.lang.IllegalThreadStateExcept
ion
What if we call run() method directly instead
start() method?
o Each thread starts in a separate call stack.
o Invoking the run() method from main thread, the
run() method goes onto the current call stack rather
than at the beginning of a new call stack.
class TestCallRun1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestCallRun1 t1=new TestCallRun1();
t1.run();//fine, but does not start a separate call stack
}
}
Output:running...
Problem if you direct call run() method
class TestCallRun2 extends Thread{
public void run(){
for(int i=1;i<5;i++){
try{Thread.sleep(500);}catch(InterruptedException e)
{System.out.println(e);}
System.out.println(i);
}
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestCallRun2 t1=new TestCallRun2();
TestCallRun2 t2=new TestCallRun2();
t1.run();
t2.run();
}
}
Output:1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
As you can see in the above program that there is no
context-switching because here t1 and t2 will be treated
as normal object not thread object.
The join() method
The join() method waits for a thread to die. In other
words, it causes the currently running threads to stop
executing until the thread it joins with completes its task.
Syntax:
public void join()throws InterruptedException
public void join(long milliseconds)throws
InterruptedException
Example of join() method
class TestJoinMethod1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
try{
Thread.sleep(500);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
System.out.println(i);
}
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestJoinMethod1 t1=new TestJoinMethod1();
TestJoinMethod1 t2=new TestJoinMethod1();
TestJoinMethod1 t3=new TestJoinMethod1();
t1.start();
try{
t1.join();
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
t2.start();
t3.start();
}
}
Output:1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
As you can see in the above example,when t1 completes
its task then t2 and t3 starts executing.
Example of join(long miliseconds) method
class TestJoinMethod2 extends Thread{
public void run(){
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
try{
Thread.sleep(500);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
System.out.println(i);
}
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestJoinMethod2 t1=new TestJoinMethod2();
TestJoinMethod2 t2=new TestJoinMethod2();
TestJoinMethod2 t3=new TestJoinMethod2();
t1.start();
try{
t1.join(1500);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
t2.start();
t3.start();
}
}
Output:1
2
3
1
4
1
2
5
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
In the above example,when t1 is completes its task for
1500 miliseconds(3 times) then t2 and t3 starts
executing.
getName(),setName(String) and getId() method:
public String getName()
public void setName(String name)
public long getId()
class TestJoinMethod3 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestJoinMethod3 t1=new TestJoinMethod3();
TestJoinMethod3 t2=new TestJoinMethod3();
System.out.println("Name of t1:"+t1.getName());
System.out.println("Name of t2:"+t2.getName());
System.out.println("id of t1:"+t1.getId());
t1.start();
t2.start();
t1.setName("pradip");
System.out.println("After changing name of t1:"+t1.getNa
me());
}
}
Output:Name of t1:Thread-0
Name of t2:Thread-1
id of t1:8
running...
After changling name of t1:Sonoo Jaiswal
running...
The currentThread() method:
The currentThread() method returns a reference to the
currently executing thread object.
Syntax:
public static Thread currentThread()
Example of currentThread() method
class TestJoinMethod4 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName());
}
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestJoinMethod4 t1=new TestJoinMethod4();
TestJoinMethod4 t2=new TestJoinMethod4();
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:Thread-0
Thread-1
Naming Thread and Current Thread
Naming Thread
The Thread class provides methods to change and get the
name of a thread.
By default, each thread has a name i.e.
thread-0,
thread-1
and so on.
By we can change the name of the thread by using
setName() method. The syntax of setName() and
getName() methods are given below:
1. public String getName():
is used to return the name of a thread.
2. public void setName(String name):
is used to change the name of a thread.
Example of naming a thread
class TestMultiNaming1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestMultiNaming1 t1=new TestMultiNaming1();
TestMultiNaming1 t2=new TestMultiNaming1();
System.out.println("Name of t1:"+t1.getName());
System.out.println("Name of t2:"+t2.getName());
t1.start();
t2.start();
t1.setName("Sonoo Jaiswal");
System.out.println("After changing name of t1:"+t1.getNa
me());
}
}
Output:Name of t1:Thread-0
Name of t2:Thread-1
id of t1:8
running...
After changeling name of t1:Sonoo Jaiswal
running...
Current Thread
The currentThread() method returns a reference of
currently executing thread.
public static Thread currentThread()
Example of currentThread() method
class TestMultiNaming2 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName());
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestMultiNaming2 t1=new TestMultiNaming2();
TestMultiNaming2 t2=new TestMultiNaming2();
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:Thread-0
Thread-1
Priority of a Thread (Thread Priority):
Each thread have a priority.
Priorities are represented by a number between 1 and
10.
In most cases, thread schedular schedules the threads
according to their priority (known as preemptive
scheduling).
But it is not guaranteed because it depends on JVM
specification that which scheduling it chooses.
3 constants defined in Thread class:
1. public static int MIN_PRIORITY
2. public static int NORM_PRIORITY
3. public static int MAX_PRIORITY
Default priority of a thread is 5 (NORM_PRIORITY). The
value of MIN_PRIORITY is 1 and the value of
MAX_PRIORITY is 10.
Example of priority of a Thread:
class TestMultiPriority1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("running thread name is:"+Thread.curr
entThread().getName());
System.out.println("running thread priority is:"+Thread.cu
rrentThread().getPriority());
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestMultiPriority1 m1=new TestMultiPriority1();
TestMultiPriority1 m2=new TestMultiPriority1();
m1.setPriority(Thread.MIN_PRIORITY);
m2.setPriority(Thread.MAX_PRIORITY);
m1.start();
m2.start();
}
}
Output:running thread name is:Thread-0
running thread priority is:10
running thread name is:Thread-1
running thread priority is:1
Daemon Thread in Java
Daemon thread in java is a service provider thread that
provides services to the user thread.
Its life depend on the mercy of user threads i.e. when all
the user threads dies, JVM terminates this thread
automatically.
There are many java daemon threads running
automatically e.g. gc, finalizer etc.
You can see all the detail by typing the jconsole in the
command prompt.
The jconsole tool provides information about the loaded
classes, memory usage, running threads etc.
Points to remember for Daemon Thread in Java
o It provides services to user threads for background
supporting tasks. It has no role in life than to serve
user threads.
o Its life depends on user threads.
o It is a low priority thread.
Why JVM terminates the daemon thread if there is no user thread?
The sole purpose of the daemon thread is that it provides
services to user thread for background supporting task.
If there is no user thread, why should JVM keep running
this thread.
That is why JVM terminates the daemon thread if there is
no user thread.
Methods for Java Daemon thread by Thread class
The java.lang.Thread class provides two methods for java
daemon thread.
No. Method Description
1) public void is used to mark the
setDaemon(boolean current thread as
status) daemon thread or
user thread.
2) public boolean is used to check that
isDaemon() current is daemon.
Simple example of Daemon thread in java
File: MyThread.java
public class TestDaemonThread1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
if(Thread.currentThread().isDaemon()){//checking for dae
mon thread
System.out.println("daemon thread work");
}
else{
System.out.println("user thread work");
}
}
public static void main(String[] args){
TestDaemonThread1 t1=new TestDaemonThread1();//crea
ting thread
TestDaemonThread1 t2=new TestDaemonThread1();
TestDaemonThread1 t3=new TestDaemonThread1();
t1.setDaemon(true);//now t1 is daemon thread
t1.start();//starting threads
t2.start();
t3.start();
}
}
Output
daemon thread work
user thread work
user thread work
Note:
If you want to make a user thread as Daemon, it must
not be started otherwise it will throw
IllegalThreadStateException.
File: MyThread.java
class TestDaemonThread2 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("Name: "+Thread.currentThread().getN
ame());
System.out.println("Daemon: "+Thread.currentThread().isD
aemon());
}
public static void main(String[] args){
TestDaemonThread2 t1=new TestDaemonThread2();
TestDaemonThread2 t2=new TestDaemonThread2();
t1.start();
t1.setDaemon(true);//will throw exception here
t2.start();
}
}
Output:
exception in thread main:
java.lang.IllegalThreadStateException
Java Thread Pool
Java Thread pool represents a group of worker threads
that are waiting for the job and reuse many times.
In case of thread pool, a group of fixed size threads are
created.
A thread from the thread pool is pulled out and assigned a
job by the service provider.
After completion of the job, thread is contained in the
thread pool again.
Advantage of Java Thread Pool
Better performance It saves time because there is no need
to create new thread.
Real time usage
It is used in Servlet and JSP where container creates a
thread pool to process the request.
Example of Java Thread Pool
Let's see a simple example of java thread pool using
ExecutorService and Executors.
File: WorkerThread.java
import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
class WorkerThread implements Runnable {
private String message;
public WorkerThread(String s){
this.message=s;
}
public void run() {
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName()
+" (Start) message = "+message);
processmessage();//call processmessage method that s
leeps the thread for 2 seconds
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName()
+" (End)");//prints thread name
}
private void processmessage() {
try {
Thread.sleep(2000);
}
catch (InterruptedException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
File: JavaThreadPoolExample.java
public class TestThreadPool
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadP
ool(5);
//creating a pool of 5 threads
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
Runnable worker = new WorkerThread("" + i);
executor.execute(worker);//calling execute method
of ExecutorService
}
executor.shutdown();
while (!executor.isTerminated()) { }
System.out.println("Finished all threads");
}
}
Output:
pool-1-thread-1 (Start) message = 0
pool-1-thread-2 (Start) message = 1
pool-1-thread-3 (Start) message = 2
pool-1-thread-5 (Start) message = 4
pool-1-thread-4 (Start) message = 3
pool-1-thread-2 (End)
pool-1-thread-2 (Start) message = 5
pool-1-thread-1 (End)
pool-1-thread-1 (Start) message = 6
pool-1-thread-3 (End)
pool-1-thread-3 (Start) message = 7
pool-1-thread-4 (End)
pool-1-thread-4 (Start) message = 8
pool-1-thread-5 (End)
pool-1-thread-5 (Start) message = 9
pool-1-thread-2 (End)
pool-1-thread-1 (End)
pool-1-thread-4 (End)
pool-1-thread-3 (End)
pool-1-thread-5 (End)
Finished all threads
ThreadGroup in Java
Java provides a convenient way to group multiple threads
in a single object.
In such way,
we can suspend,
resume or interrupt group of threads by a single method
call.
Note:
Now suspend(), resume() and stop() methods are deprecated.
Java thread group is implemented by
java.lang.ThreadGroup class.
Constructors of ThreadGroup class
There are only two constructors of ThreadGroup class.
No. Constructor Description
1) ThreadGroup(String name) creates a thread
group with
given name.
2) ThreadGroup(ThreadGroup creates a thread
parent, String name) group with
given parent
group and
name.
Important methods of ThreadGroup class
There are many methods in ThreadGroup class.
A list of important methods are given below.
No. Method Description
1) int activeCount() returns no.
of threads running in
current group.
2) int returns a no.
activeGroupCount() of active group in this
thread group.
3) void destroy() destroys this thread
group and all its sub
groups.
4) String getName() returns the name of this
group.
5) ThreadGroup returns the parent of this
getParent() group.
6) void interrupt() interrupts all threads of
this group.
7) void list() prints information of this
group to standard
console.
Let's see a code to group multiple threads.
ThreadGroup tg1 = new ThreadGroup("Group A");
Thread t1 = new Thread(tg1,new MyRunnable(),"one");
Thread t2 = new Thread(tg1,new MyRunnable(),"two");
Thread t3 = new Thread(tg1,new MyRunnable(),"three");
Now all 3 threads belong to one group.
Here, tg1 is the thread group name, MyRunnable is the
class that implements Runnable interface and "one", "two"
and "three" are the thread names.
Now we can interrupt all threads by a single line of code
only.
1. Thread.currentThread().getThreadGroup().interrupt()
;
ThreadGroup Example
File: ThreadGroupDemo.java
public class ThreadGroupDemo implements Runnable{
public void run() {
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName());
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
ThreadGroupDemo runnable = new ThreadGroupDemo();
ThreadGroup tg1 = new ThreadGroup("pradip");
Thread t1 = new Thread(tg1, runnable,"one");
t1.start();
Thread t2 = new Thread(tg1, runnable,"two");
t2.start();
Thread t3 = new Thread(tg1, runnable,"three");
t3.start();
System.out.println("Thread Group Name: "+tg1.getNa
me());
tg1.list();
}
}
Output:
one
two
three
Thread Group Name: Parent ThreadGroup
java.lang.ThreadGroup[name=Parent
ThreadGroup,maxpri=10]
Thread[one,5,Parent ThreadGroup]
Thread[two,5,Parent ThreadGroup]
Thread[three,5,Parent ThreadGroup]
Java Shutdown Hook
The shutdown hook can be used to perform cleanup
resource or save the state when JVM shuts down normally
or abruptly.
Performing clean resource means closing log file,
sending some alerts or something else.
So if you want to execute some code before JVM shuts
down, use shutdown hook.
When does the JVM shut down?
The JVM shuts down when:
o user presses ctrl+c on the command prompt
o System.exit(int) method is invoked
o user logoff
o user shutdown etc.
The addShutdownHook(Thread hook) method
The addShutdownHook()
method of Runtime class is used to register the thread
with the Virtual Machine.
Syntax:
public void addShutdownHook(Thread hook){}
The object of Runtime class can be obtained by calling the
static factory method getRuntime().
For example:
Runtime r = Runtime.getRuntime();
Factory method
The method that returns the instance of a class is known
as factory method.
Simple example of Shutdown Hook
class MyThread extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("shut down hook task completed..");
}
}
public class TestShutdown1{
public static void main(String[] args)throws Exception {
Runtime r=Runtime.getRuntime();
r.addShutdownHook(new MyThread());
System.out.println("Now main sleeping... press ctrl+c to exit
");
try{Thread.sleep(3000);}catch (Exception e) {}
}
}
Output:
Now main sleeping... press ctrl+c to exit
shut down hook task completed..
Note:
The shutdown sequence can be stopped by invoking the halt(int)
method of Runtime class.
Same example of Shutdown Hook by annonymous
class:
public class TestShutdown2{
public static void main(String[] args)throws Exception {
Runtime r=Runtime.getRuntime();
r.addShutdownHook(new Thread()
{
public void run(){
System.out.println("shut down hook task completed..");
}
}
);
System.out.println("Now main sleeping... press ctrl+c to exit
");
try{Thread.sleep(3000);}catch (Exception e) {}
}
}
Output:
Now main sleeping... press ctrl+c to exit
shut down hook task completed..
How to perform single task by multiple threads?
If you have to perform single task by many threads, have
only one run() method.
For example:
Program of performing single task by multiple threads
class TestMultitasking1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
System.out.println("task one");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestMultitasking1 t1=new TestMultitasking1();
TestMultitasking1 t2=new TestMultitasking1();
TestMultitasking1 t3=new TestMultitasking1();
t1.start();
t2.start();
t3.start();
}
}
Output:
task one
task one
task one
Program of performing single task by multiple threads
class TestMultitasking2 implements Runnable{
public void run(){
System.out.println("task one");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
Thread t1 =new Thread(new TestMultitasking2());//passing
annonymous object of TestMultitasking2 class
Thread t2 =new Thread(new TestMultitasking2());
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:
task one
task one
Note:
Each thread run in a separate callstack.
How to perform multiple tasks by multiple threads (multitasking in
multithreading)?
If you have to perform multiple tasks by multiple
threads,have multiple run() methods.
For example:
Program of performing two tasks by two threads
class Simple1 extends Thread{
public void run()
{
System.out.println("task one");
}
}
class Simple2 extends Thread{
public void run()
{
System.out.println("task two");
}
}
class TestMultitasking3{
public static void main(String args[])
{
Simple1 t1=new Simple1();
Simple2 t2=new Simple2();
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:task one
task two
Same example as above by annonymous
class that extends Thread class:
Program of performing two tasks by two threads
class TestMultitasking4{
public static void main(String args[]){
Thread t1=new Thread(){
public void run(){
System.out.println("task one");
}
};
Thread t2=new Thread(){
public void run(){
System.out.println("task two");
}
};
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:task one
task two
Same example as above by annonymous class
that implements Runnable interface:
Program of performing two tasks by two threads
class TestMultitasking5{
public static void main(String args[]){
Runnable r1=new Runnable(){
public void run(){
System.out.println("task one");
}
};
Runnable r2=new Runnable(){
public void run(){
System.out.println("task two");
}
};
Thread t1=new Thread(r1);
Thread t2=new Thread(r2);
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:task one
task two
Java Garbage Collection
In java, garbage means unreferenced objects.
Garbage Collection is process of reclaiming the runtime
unused memory automatically.
In other words, it is a way to destroy the unused objects.
To do so, we were using free() function in C language and
delete() in C++.
But, in java it is performed automatically.
So, java provides better memory management.
Advantage of Garbage Collection
o It makes java memory efficient because garbage
collector removes the unreferenced objects from heap
memory.
o It is automatically done by the garbage collector(a
part of JVM) so we don't need to make extra efforts.
How can an object be unreferenced?
There are many ways:
o By nulling the reference
o By assigning a reference to another
o By annonymous object etc.
1) By nulling a reference:
Employee e=new Employee();
e=null;
2) By assigning a reference to another:
Employee e1=new Employee();
Employee e2=new Employee();
e1=e2;
//now the first object referred by e1 is available for garbage
collection
3) By annonymous object:
new Employee();
finalize() method
The finalize() method is invoked each time before the
object is garbage collected.
This method can be used to perform cleanup processing.
This method is defined in Object class as:
protected void finalize(){}
Note:
The Garbage collector of JVM collects only those objects that are
created by new keyword.
So if you have created any object without new, you can use finalize
method to perform cleanup processing (destroying remaining
objects).
gc() method
The gc() method is used to invoke the garbage collector to
perform cleanup processing.
The gc() is found in System and Runtime classes.
public static void gc(){}
Note:
Garbage collection is performed by a daemon thread called Garbage
Collector(GC). This thread calls the finalize() method before object is
garbage collected.
Simple Example of garbage collection in java
public class TestGarbage1{
public void finalize(){System.out.println("object is garbage
collected");}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestGarbage1 s1=new TestGarbage1();
TestGarbage1 s2=new TestGarbage1();
s1=null;
s2=null;
System.gc();
}
}
object is garbage collected
object is garbage collected
Java Runtime class
Java Runtime class is used to interact with java runtime
environment.
Java Runtime class provides methods to execute a process,
invoke GC, get total and free memory etc.
There is only one instance of java.lang.Runtime class is
available for one java application.
The Runtime.getRuntime() method returns the singleton
instance of Runtime class.
Important methods of Java Runtime class
No. Method Description
1) public static Runtime returns the
getRuntime() instance of
Runtime class.
2) public void exit(int status) terminates the
current virtual
machine.
3) public void registers new
addShutdownHook(Thread hook thread.
hook)
4) public Process exec(String executes given
command)throws IOException command in a
separate
process.
5) public int returns no. of
availableProcessors() available
processors.
6) public long freeMemory() returns amount
of free memory
in JVM.
7) public long totalMemory() returns amount
of total memory
in JVM.
Java Runtime exec() method
public class Runtime1{
public static void main(String args[])throws Exception{
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("notepad");//will open a new
notepad
}
}
How to shutdown system in Java
You can use shutdown -s command to shutdown system.
For windows OS,
you need to provide full path of shutdown command e.g.
c:\\Windows\\System32\\shutdown.
Here you can use -s switch to shutdown system, -r switch
to restart system and -t switch to specify time delay.
public class Runtime2{
public static void main(String args[])throws Exception{
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("shutdown -s -t 0");
}
}
How to shutdown windows system in Java
public class Runtime2{
public static void main(String args[])throws Exception{
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("c:\\Windows\\System32\\sh
utdown –s -t 0");
}
}
How to restart system in Java
public class Runtime3{
public static void main(String args[])throws Exception{
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("shutdown -r -t 0");
}
}
Java Runtime availableProcessors()
public class Runtime4{
public static void main(String args[])throws Exception{
System.out.println(Runtime.getRuntime().availableProcess
ors());
}
}
Java Runtime freeMemory() and totalMemory()
method
In the given program,
after creating 10000 instance, free memory will be less
than the previous free memory.
But after gc() call, you will get more free memory.
public class MemoryTest{
public static void main(String args[])throws Exception{
Runtime r=Runtime.getRuntime();
System.out.println("Total Memory: "+r.totalMemory());
System.out.println("Free Memory: "+r.freeMemory());
for(int i=0;i<10000;i++){
new MemoryTest();
}
System.out.println("After creating 10000 instance, Free Me
mory: "+r.freeMemory());
System.gc();
System.out.println("After gc(), Free Memory: "+r.freeMemo
ry());
}
}
Total Memory: 100139008
Free Memory: 99474824
After creating 10000 instance, Free Memory: 99310552
After gc(), Free Memory: 100182832
Synchronization in Java
Synchronization in java is the capability to control the
access of multiple threads to any shared resource.
Java Synchronization is better option where we want to
allow only one thread to access the shared resource.
Why use Synchronization
The synchronization is mainly used to
1. To prevent thread interference.
2. To prevent consistency problem.
Types of Synchronization
There are two types of synchronization
1. Process Synchronization
2. Thread Synchronization
Here, we will discuss only thread synchronization.
Thread Synchronization
There are two types of thread synchronization mutual
exclusive and inter-thread communication.
1. Mutual Exclusive
1. Synchronized method.
2. Synchronized block.
3. static synchronization.
2. Cooperation (Inter-thread communication in java)
Mutual Exclusive
Mutual Exclusive helps keep threads from interfering with
one another while sharing data. This can be done by three
ways in java:
1. by synchronized method
2. by synchronized block
3. by static synchronization
Concept of Lock in Java
Synchronization is built around an internal entity known as
the lock or monitor.
Every object has an lock associated with it.
By convention,
a thread that needs consistent access to an object's fields
has to acquire the object's lock before accessing them,
and then release the lock when it's done with them.
From Java 5 the package java.util.concurrent.locks
contains several lock implementations.
Understanding the problem without Synchronization
In this example, there is no synchronization,
so output is inconsistent.
Let's see the example:
class Table{
void printTable(int n){//method not synchronized
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
}
}
}
class MyThread1 extends Thread{
Table t;
MyThread1(Table t){
this.t=t;
}
public void run(){
t.printTable(5);
}
}
class MyThread2 extends Thread{
Table t;
MyThread2(Table t){
this.t=t;
}
public void run(){
t.printTable(100);
}
}
class TestSynchronization1{
public static void main(String args[]){
Table obj = new Table();//only one object
MyThread1 t1=new MyThread1(obj);
MyThread2 t2=new MyThread2(obj);
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output: 5
100
10
200
15
300
20
400
25
500
Java synchronized method
If you declare any method as synchronized, it is known as
synchronized method.
Synchronized method is used to lock an object for any
shared resource.
When a thread invokes a synchronized method, it
automatically acquires the lock for that object and releases
it when the thread completes its task.
//example of java synchronized method
class Table{
synchronized void printTable(int n){//synchronized method
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
}
}
}
class MyThread1 extends Thread{
Table t;
MyThread1(Table t){
this.t=t;
}
public void run(){
t.printTable(5);
}
}
class MyThread2 extends Thread{
Table t;
MyThread2(Table t){
this.t=t;
}
public void run(){
t.printTable(100);
}
}
public class TestSynchronization2{
public static void main(String args[]){
Table obj = new Table();//only one object
MyThread1 t1=new MyThread1(obj);
MyThread2 t2=new MyThread2(obj);
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output: 5
10
15
20
25
100
200
300
400
500
Example of synchronized method by using
annonymous class
In this program, we have created the two threads by
annonymous class, so less coding is required.
//Program of synchronized method by using annonymous cla
ss
class Table{
synchronized void printTable(int n){//synchronized method
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
}
}
}
public class TestSynchronization3{
public static void main(String args[]){
final Table obj = new Table();//only one object
Thread t1=new Thread(){
public void run(){
obj.printTable(5);
}
};
Thread t2=new Thread(){
public void run(){
obj.printTable(100);
}
};
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output: 5
10
15
20
25
100
200
300
400
500
Synchronized block in java
Synchronized block can be used to perform
synchronization on any specific resource of the method.
Suppose you have 50 lines of code in your method, but you
want to synchronize only 5 lines, you can use synchronized
block.
If you put all the codes of the method in the synchronized
block, it will work same as the synchronized method.
Points to remember for Synchronized block
o Synchronized block is used to lock an object for any
shared resource.
o Scope of synchronized block is smaller than the
method.
Syntax to use synchronized block
synchronized (object reference expression) {
//code block
}
Example of synchronized block
Let's see the simple example of synchronized block.
Program of synchronized block
class Table{
void printTable(int n){
synchronized(this){//synchronized block
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
}
}
}//end of the method
}
class MyThread1 extends Thread{
Table t;
MyThread1(Table t){
this.t=t;
}
public void run(){
t.printTable(5);
}
}
class MyThread2 extends Thread{
Table t;
MyThread2(Table t){
this.t=t;
}
public void run(){
t.printTable(100);
}
}
public class TestSynchronizedBlock1{
public static void main(String args[]){
Table obj = new Table();//only one object
MyThread1 t1=new MyThread1(obj);
MyThread2 t2=new MyThread2(obj);
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:5
10
15
20
25
100
200
300
400
500
Same Example of synchronized block by using annonymous class:
//Program of synchronized block by using annonymous
class
class Table{
void printTable(int n){
synchronized(this){//synchronized block
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println(e);}
}
}
}//end of the method
}
public class TestSynchronizedBlock2{
public static void main(String args[]){
final Table obj = new Table();//only one object
Thread t1=new Thread(){
public void run(){
obj.printTable(5);
}
};
Thread t2=new Thread(){
public void run(){
obj.printTable(100);
}
};
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:5
10
15
20
25
100
200
300
400
500
Static synchronization
If you make any static method as synchronized, the lock
will be on the class not on object.
Problem without static synchronization
Suppose there are two objects of a shared class(e.g.
Table) named object1 and object2.
In case of synchronized method and synchronized block
there cannot be interference between t1 and t2 or t3 and
t4 because t1 and t2 both refers to a common object that
have a single lock.
But there can be interference between t1 and t3 or t2 and
t4 because t1 acquires another lock and t3 acquires
another lock.
I want no interference between t1 and t3 or t2 and
t4.Static synchronization solves this problem.
Example of static synchronization
In this example we are applying synchronized keyword on
the static method to perform static synchronization.
class Table{
synchronized static void printTable(int n){
for(int i=1;i<=10;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){}
}
}
}
class MyThread1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
Table.printTable(1);
}
}
class MyThread2 extends Thread{
public void run(){
Table.printTable(10);
}
}
class MyThread3 extends Thread{
public void run(){
Table.printTable(100);
}
}
class MyThread4 extends Thread{
public void run(){
Table.printTable(1000);
}
}
public class TestSynchronization4{
public static void main(String t[]){
MyThread1 t1=new MyThread1();
MyThread2 t2=new MyThread2();
MyThread3 t3=new MyThread3();
MyThread4 t4=new MyThread4();
t1.start();
t2.start();
t3.start();
t4.start();
}
}
Output: 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Same example of static synchronization by annonymous
class
In this example, we are using annonymous class to create
the threads.
class Table{
synchronized static void printTable(int n){
for(int i=1;i<=10;i++){
System.out.println(n*i);
try{
Thread.sleep(400);
}catch(Exception e){}
}
}
}
public class TestSynchronization5 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Thread t1=new Thread(){
public void run(){
Table.printTable(1);
}
};
Thread t2=new Thread(){
public void run(){
Table.printTable(10);
}
};
Thread t3=new Thread(){
public void run(){
Table.printTable(100);
}
};
Thread t4=new Thread(){
public void run(){
Table.printTable(1000);
}
};
t1.start();
t2.start();
t3.start();
t4.start();
}
}
Output: 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Synchronized block on a class lock:
The block synchronizes on the lock of the object denoted
by the reference
.class name .class.
A static synchronized method printTable(int n) in class
Table is equivalent to the following declaration:
static void printTable(int n) {
synchronized (Table.class) { // Synchronized block on
class A
// ...
}
}
Deadlock in java
Deadlock in java is a part of multithreading.
Deadlock can occur in a situation when a thread is waiting
for an object lock,
that is acquired by another thread and second thread is
waiting for an object lock that is acquired by first thread.
Since, both threads are waiting for each other to release
the lock, the condition is called deadlock.
Example of Deadlock in java
public class TestDeadlockExample1 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
final String resource1 = "ratan jaiswal";
final String resource2 = "vimal jaiswal";
// t1 tries to lock resource1 then resource2
Thread t1 = new Thread() {
public void run() {
synchronized (resource1) {
System.out.println("Thread 1: locked resource 1");
try { Thread.sleep(100);} catch (Exception e) {}
synchronized (resource2) {
System.out.println("Thread 1: locked resource 2");
}
}
}
};
// t2 tries to lock resource2 then resource1
Thread t2 = new Thread() {
public void run() {
synchronized (resource2) {
System.out.println("Thread 2: locked resource 2");
try { Thread.sleep(100);} catch (Exception e) {}
synchronized (resource1) {
System.out.println("Thread 2: locked resource 1");
}
}
}
};
t1.start();
t2.start();
}
}
Output: Thread 1: locked resource 1
Thread 2: locked resource 2
Inter-thread communication in Java
Inter-thread communication or Co-operation is all about
allowing synchronized threads to communicate with each
other.
Cooperation (Inter-thread communication) is a mechanism
in which a thread is paused running in its critical section
and another thread is allowed to enter (or lock) in the
same critical section to be executed.
It is implemented by following methods of Object class:
o wait()
o notify()
o notifyAll()
1) wait() method
Causes current thread to release the lock and wait until
either another thread invokes the notify() method or the
notifyAll() method for this object, or a specified amount of
time has elapsed.
The current thread must own this object's monitor, so it
must be called from the synchronized method only
otherwise it will throw exception.
Method Description
public final void wait()throws waits until object is
InterruptedException notified.
public final void wait(long waits for the
timeout)throws specified amount of
InterruptedException time.
2) notify() method
Wakes up a single thread that is waiting on this object's
monitor. If any threads are waiting on this object, one of
them is chosen to be awakened. The choice is arbitrary and
occurs at the discretion of the implementation. Syntax:
public final void notify()
3) notifyAll() method
Wakes up all threads that are waiting on this object's
monitor. Syntax:
public final void notifyAll()
Understanding the process of inter-thread
communication
The point to point explanation of the above diagram is as
follows:
1. Threads enter to acquire lock.
2. Lock is acquired by on thread.
3. Now thread goes to waiting state if you call wait()
method on the object. Otherwise it releases the lock
and exits.
4. If you call notify() or notifyAll() method, thread
moves to the notified state (runnable state).
5. Now thread is available to acquire lock.
6. After completion of the task, thread releases the lock
and exits the monitor state of the object.
Why wait(), notify() and notifyAll() methods are defined in Object class
not Thread class?
It is because they are related to lock and object has a lock.
Difference between wait and sleep?
Let's see the important differences between wait and sleep
methods.
wait() sleep()
wait() method releases sleep() method doesn't
the lock release the lock.
is the method of Object is the method of Thread
class class
is the non-static method is the static method
is the non-static method is the static method
should be notified by after the specified amount
notify() or notifyAll() of time, sleep is
methods completed.
Example of inter thread communication in java
Let's see the simple example of inter thread
communication.
class Customer{
int amount=10000;
synchronized void withdraw(int amount){
System.out.println("going to withdraw...");
if(this.amount<amount){
System.out.println("Less balance; waiting for deposit...");
try{wait();}catch(Exception e){}
}
this.amount-=amount;
System.out.println("withdraw completed...");
}
synchronized void deposit(int amount){
System.out.println("going to deposit...");
this.amount+=amount;
System.out.println("deposit completed... ");
notify();
}
}
class Test{
public static void main(String args[]){
final Customer c=new Customer();
new Thread(){
public void run(){c.withdraw(15000);}
}.start();
new Thread(){
public void run(){c.deposit(10000);}
}.start();
}}
Output: going to withdraw...
Less balance; waiting for deposit...
going to deposit...
deposit completed...
withdraw completed
Interrupting a Thread:
If any thread is in sleeping or waiting state (i.e. sleep()
or wait() is invoked), calling the interrupt() method on
the thread, breaks out the sleeping or waiting state
throwing InterruptedException.
If the thread is not in the sleeping or waiting state,
calling the interrupt() method performs normal
behaviour and doesn't interrupt the thread but sets the
interrupt flag to true.
Let's first see the methods provided by the Thread class
for thread interruption.
The 3 methods provided by the Thread class for
interrupting a thread
o public void interrupt()
o public static boolean interrupted()
o public boolean isInterrupted()
Example of interrupting a thread that
stops working
In this example, after interrupting the thread, we are
propagating it, so it will stop working.
If we don't want to stop the thread, we can handle it
where sleep() or wait() method is invoked.
Let's first see the example where we are propagating
the exception.
class TestInterruptingThread1 extends Thread{
public void run(){
try{
Thread.sleep(1000);
System.out.println("task");
}catch(InterruptedException e){
throw new RuntimeException("Thread interrupted..."+e);
}
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestInterruptingThread1 t1=new TestInterruptingThread1();
t1.start();
try{
t1.interrupt();
}catch(Exception e){System.out.println("Exception handled
"+e);}
}
}
Output:Exception in thread-0
java.lang.RuntimeException: Thread
interrupted...
java.lang.InterruptedException: sleep
interrupted
at A.run(A.java:7)
Example of interrupting a thread that doesn't
stop working
In this example, after interrupting the thread, we handle
the exception, so it will break out the sleeping but will
not stop working.
class TestInterruptingThread2 extends Thread{
public void run(){
try{
Thread.sleep(1000);
System.out.println("task");
}catch(InterruptedException e){
System.out.println("Exception handled "+e);
}
System.out.println("thread is running...");
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestInterruptingThread2 t1=new TestInterruptingThread2();
t1.start();
t1.interrupt();
}
}
Output:Exception handled
java.lang.InterruptedException: sleep
interrupted
thread is running...
Example of interrupting thread that behaves
normally
If thread is not in sleeping or waiting state, calling the
interrupt() method sets the interrupted flag to true that
can be used to stop the thread by the java programmer
later.
class TestInterruptingThread3 extends Thread{
public void run(){
for(int i=1;i<=5;i++)
System.out.println(i);
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestInterruptingThread3 t1=new TestInterruptingThread3();
t1.start();
t1.interrupt();
}
}
Output:1
2
3
4
5
What about isInterrupted and interrupted
method?
The isInterrupted() method returns the interrupted flag
either true or false. The static interrupted() method
returns the interrupted flag afterthat it sets the flag to
false if it is true.
public class TestInterruptingThread4 extends Thread{
public void run(){
for(int i=1;i<=2;i++){
if(Thread.interrupted()){
System.out.println("code for interrupted thread");
}
else{
System.out.println("code for normal thread");
}
}//end of for loop
}
public static void main(String args[]){
TestInterruptingThread4 t1=new TestInterruptingThread4();
TestInterruptingThread4 t2=new TestInterruptingThread4();
t1.start();
t1.interrupt();
t2.start();
}
}
Output:Code for interrupted thread
code for normal thread
code for normal thread
code for normal thread
Reentrant Monitor in Java
According to Sun Microsystems, Java monitors are
reentrant means java thread can reuse the same monitor
for different synchronized methods if method is called
from the method.
Advantage of Reentrant Monitor
It eliminates the possibility of single thread deadlocking
Let's understand the java reentrant monitor by the
example given below:
class Reentrant {
public synchronized void m() {
n();
System.out.println("this is m() method");
}
public synchronized void n() {
System.out.println("this is n() method");
}
}
In this class, m and n are the synchronized methods. The
m() method internally calls the n() method.
Now let's call the m() method on a thread. In the class
given below, we are creating thread using annonymous
class.
public class ReentrantExample{
public static void main(String args[]){
final ReentrantExample re=new ReentrantExample();
Thread t1=new Thread(){
public void run(){
re.m();//calling method of Reentrant class
}
};
t1.start();
}}
Output: this is n() method
this is m() method