1

Threads in Java
(Deitel & Deitel)
OOutline
1- Introduction
1- Class Thread: An Overview of the Thread Methods
1- Thread States: Life Cycle of a Thread
1- Thread Priorities and Thread Scheduling
1- Thread Synchronization
1- Daemon Threads
1- Runnable Interface
1- Thread Groups

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 2

Introduction

• Performing operations concurrently (in parallel)

– We can walk, talk, breathe, see, hear, smell... all at the same time
– Computers can do this as well - download a file, print a file,
receive email, run the clock, more or less in parallel….
• How are these tasks typically accomplished?
• Operating systems support processes
• What’s the difference between a process and a thread?
• Processes have their own memory space, threads share memory
• Hence processes are “heavyweight” while threads are “lightweight”
– Most programming languages do not allow concurrency
– Usually limited to operating system "primitives" available to
systems programmers
– Java supports concurrency as part of language and libraries
– What other languages support concurrency in the language?

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 3

What and why

• Threads of execution
– Each thread is a portion of a program that can execute
concurrently with other threads (multithreading)
• C and C++ are single-threaded
• Gives Java powerful capabilities not found in C and C++
– Example: downloading a video clip
• Instead of having to download the entire clip then play it:
• Download a portion, play that portion, download the next
portion, play that portion... (streaming)
• Ensure that it is done smoothly
– Other example applications of multi-threading?

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 4

Portability issues (JVM)

• Portability
– Differences between platforms (e.g., Solaris, Windows, …)
• On Solaris (Linux?)
– A thread runs to completion or until a higher priority thread
becomes ready
– Preemption occurs (processor is given to the higher-priority
thread)
• On Win32 (Windows 9x, NT, XP)
– Threads are timesliced
• Thread given quantum of time to execute
• Processor then switched to any threads of equal priority
– Preemption occurs with higher and equal priority threads

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 5
An Overview of the Thread
Methods
• Thread-related methods
– See API for more details (especially exceptions)
– Constructors
• Thread() - Creates a thread with an auto-numbered name
of format Thread-1, Thread-2...
• Thread( threadName ) - Creates a thread with name
– run
• Does “work” of a thread – What does this mean?
• Can be overridden in subclass of Thread or in Runnable
object (more on interface Runnable elsewhere)
– start
• Launches thread, then returns to caller
• Calls run
• Error to call start twice for same thread

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 6
Thread States: Life Cycle of a
Thread
• Born state
– Thread just created
– When start called, enters ready state
• Ready state (runnable state)
– Highest-priority ready thread enters running state
• Running state
– System assigns processor to thread (thread begins executing)
– When run completes or terminates, enters dead state
• Dead state
– Thread marked to be removed by system
– Entered when run terminates or throws uncaught exception

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 7

Other Thread States

• Blocked state
– Entered from running state
– Blocked thread cannot use processor, even if available
– Common reason for blocked state - waiting on I/O request
• Sleeping state
– Entered when sleep method called
– Cannot use processor
– Enters ready state after sleep time expires
• Waiting state
– Entered when wait called in an object thread is accessing
– One waiting thread becomes ready when object calls
notify
– notifyAll - all waiting threads become ready

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 8

More Thread Methods

• static void sleep( long milliseconds )
– Thread sleeps (does not contend for processor) for number of
milliseconds
– Why might we want a program to invoke sleep?
– Can give lower priority threads a chance to run
• void interrupt() - interrupts a thread
• boolean isInterrupted()
– Determines if a thread is interrupted
• boolean isAlive()
– Returns true if start called and thread not dead (run has not
completed)
• getPriority() - returns this thread's priority
• setPriority() – sets this threads priority
• Etc.
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 9

Thread Priorities and Scheduling

• All Java applets / applications are multithreaded

– Threads have priority from 1 to 10
• Thread.MIN_PRIORITY - 1
• Thread.NORM_PRIORITY - 5 (default)
• Thread.MAX_PRIORITY - 10
• New threads inherit priority of thread that created it
• Timeslicing
– Each thread gets a quantum of processor time to execute
• After time is up, processor given to next thread of equal
priority (if available)
– Without timeslicing, each thread of equal priority runs to
completion

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 10

Thread Priorities and Scheduling

• Java scheduler
– Keeps highest-priority thread running at all times
– If timeslicing available, ensure equal priority threads execute
in round-robin fashion
– New high priority threads could postpone execution of lower
priority threads
• Indefinite postponement (starvation)
• Priority methods
– setPriority( int priorityNumber )
– getPriority
– yield - thread yields processor to threads of equal priority
• Useful for non-timesliced systems, where threads run to
completion
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 11

Thread Scheduling Example

• Demonstrates basic threading techniques:

– Create a class derived from Thread
– Use sleep method
• What it does:
– Create four threads, which sleep for random amount of time
– After they finish sleeping, print their name
• Program has two classes:
– PrintThread
• Derives from Thread
• Instance variable sleepTime
– ThreadTester
• Creates four PrintThread objects

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 12
1 // Fig. 15.3: ThreadTester.java Outline
2 // Show multiple threads printing at different intervals.
3
4 public class ThreadTester {
5 public static void main( String args[] ) Class ThreadTester
6 {
7 PrintThread thread1, thread2, thread3, thread4;
8 1. main
9 thread1 = new PrintThread( "thread1" );
10 thread2 = new PrintThread( "thread2" );
11 thread3 = new PrintThread( "thread3" );
1.1 Initialize
12 thread4 = new PrintThread( "thread4" ); objects
13 main terminates after starting the PrintThreads,
14 System.err.println( but the
"\nStarting application
threads" ); does not end until the last thread
1.2 start
15 dies.
16 thread1.start(); ---------------
17 thread2.start(); Class PrintThread
18 thread3.start();
19 thread4.start();
20 1. extends Thread
21 System.err.println( "Threads started\n" );
22 }
23 }
1.1 Instance
24 variable
25 class PrintThread extends Thread {
26 private int sleepTime;
27
28 // PrintThread constructor assigns name to thread
29 // by calling Thread constructor

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 13
30 public PrintThread( String name ) Outline
31 { Call superclass
32 super( name ); constructor to assign
33 name to thread.
34 // sleep between 0 and 5 seconds 1.2 Constructor
35 sleepTime = (int) ( Math.random() * 5000 );
36
1.2.1 Randomize
37 System.err.println( "Name: " + getName() +
start calls ";
the run method. sleepTime
38 sleep: " + sleepTime );
39 }
40 sleep can throw an exception, so it 2. run
41 // execute the thread is enclosed in a try block.
42 public void run()
2.1 sleep
43 {
44 // put thread to sleep for a random interval
45 try {
46 System.err.println( getName() + " going to sleep" );
47 Thread.sleep( sleepTime );
48 }
49 catch ( InterruptedException exception ) {
50 System.err.println( exception.toString() );
51 }
52
53 // print thread name
54 System.err.println( getName() + " done sleeping" );
55 }
56 }

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 14
Name: thread1; sleep: 1653 Outline
Name: thread2; sleep: 2910
Name: thread3; sleep: 4436
Name: thread4; sleep: 201
 
Starting threads
Program Output
Threads started
 
thread1 going to sleep
thread2 going to sleep
thread3 going to sleep
thread4 going to sleep
thread4 done sleeping
thread1 done sleeping
thread2 done sleeping
thread3 done sleeping

Name: thread1; sleep: 3876

Name: thread2; sleep: 64
Name: thread3; sleep: 1752
Name: thread4; sleep: 3120
 
Starting threads
Threads started
 
thread2 going to sleep
thread4 going to sleep
thread1 going to sleep
thread3 going to sleep
thread2 done sleeping
thread3 done sleeping
thread4 done sleeping
thread1 done sleeping
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 15

Thread Synchronization

• Monitors
– Object with synchronized methods
• Any object can be a monitor
– Methods declared synchronized
• public synchronized int myMethod( int x )
• Only one thread can execute a synchronized method at
a time
– Obtaining the lock and locking an object
• If multiple synchronized methods, only one may be active
– Java also has synchronized blocks of code

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 16

Thread Synchronization

• Thread may decide it cannot proceed

– May voluntarily call wait while accessing a
synchronized method
• Removes thread from contention for monitor object and
processor
• Thread in waiting state
– Other threads try to enter monitor object
• Suppose condition first thread needs has now been met
• Can call notify to tell a single waiting thread to enter ready
state
• notifyAll - tells all waiting threads to enter ready state

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 17

Daemon Threads

• Daemon threads
– Threads that run for benefit of other threads
• E.g., garbage collector
– Run in background
• Use processor time that would otherwise go to waste
– Unlike normal threads, do not prevent a program from
terminating - when only daemon threads remain, program exits
– Must designate a thread as daemon before start called:
void setDaemon( true );
– Method boolean isDaemon()
• Returns true if thread is a daemon thread

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 18

Runnable Interface

• Java does not support multiple inheritance

– Instead, use interfaces
– Until now, we inherited from class Thread, overrode run
• Multithreading for an already derived class
– Implement interface Runnable (java.lang)
• New class objects "are" Runnable objects
– Override run method
• Controls thread, just as deriving from Thread class
• In fact, class Thread implements interface Runnable
– Create new threads using Thread constructors
• Thread( runnableObject )
• Thread( runnableObject, threadName )

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 19

Synchonized blocks

• Synchronized blocks of code

synchronized( monitorObject ){
...
}
– monitorObject- Object to be locked while thread executes block
of code – Why?
• Suspending threads
– In earlier versions of Java, there were methods to
stop/suspend/resume threads
• Why have these methods been deprecated?
• Dangerous, can lead to deadlock
– Instead, use wait and notify
• wait causes current thread to release ownership of a monitor
until another thread invokes the notify or notifyAll method
• Why is this technique safer?
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 20

Runnable Interface example

• Upcoming example program

– Create a GUI and three threads, each constantly displaying a
random letter
– Have suspend buttons, which will suspend a thread
• Actually calls wait
• When suspend unclicked, calls notify
• Use an array of booleans to keep track of which threads are
suspended

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 21
1 // Fig. 15.7: RandomCharacters.java Outline
2 // Demonstrating the Runnable interface
3 import java.awt.*;
4 import java.awt.event.*;
5 import javax.swing.*; Class
6 RandomCharacters
7 public class RandomCharacters extends JApplet
8 implements Runnable,
9 ActionListener {
1. implements
10 private String alphabet = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ";
Runnable
11 private JLabel outputs[]; Use a boolean array to keep track of which
threads are "suspended". We will actually use
12 private JCheckBox checkboxes[]; 1.1 Instance
13 private final static int SIZE = 3; wait and notify to suspend the threads.
variables
14
15 private Thread threads[];
16 private boolean suspended[]; 1.2 init
17
18 public void init()
19 {
20 outputs = new JLabel[ SIZE ];
21 checkboxes = new JCheckBox[ SIZE ];
22
23 threads = new Thread[ SIZE ];
24 suspended = new boolean[ SIZE ];
25
26 Container c = getContentPane();
27 c.setLayout( new GridLayout( SIZE, 2, 5, 5 ) );
28
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29 for ( int i = 0; i < SIZE; i++ ) { 22
30 outputs[ i ] = new JLabel(); Outline
31 outputs[ i ].setBackground( Color.green );
32 outputs[ i ].setOpaque( true );
33 c.add( outputs[ i ] ); Use the Thread constructor to create new
34 1.3 Set
threads. Runnable object up GUI
is this applet.
35 checkboxes[ i ] = new JCheckBox( "Suspended" );
36 checkboxes[ i ].addActionListener( this );
37 c.add( checkboxes[ i ] ); 2. start
38 }
39 }
40 2.1 Initialize
41 public void start() objects
42 {
43 // create threads and start every time start is called
44 for ( int i = 0; i < threads.length; i++ ) { 2.2 start
45 threads[ i ] =
46
Loop will execute indefinitely because
new Thread( this, "Thread " + (i + 1) );
47 threads[ i ].start(); 3. run
threads[index] == currentThread.
48 } The stop method in the applet sets all threads to
49 } null, which causes the loop to end.
start calls run method for thread.
50
51 public void run()
52 {
53 Thread currentThread = Thread.currentThread();
54 int index = getIndex( currentThread );
55 char displayChar;
56
57 while ( threads[ index ] == currentThread ) {
58 // sleep from 0 to 1 second
59 try {
60 Thread.sleep( (int) ( Math.random() * 1000 ) );
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 23
62
63
synchronized( this ) {
while ( suspended[ index ] &&
Outline
64 threads[ index ] == currentThread )
65 wait();
66 }
67 }
3.1 synchronized
68 catch ( InterruptedException e ) { block
69 Synchronized
System.err.println( "sleep interrupted" );block tests suspended array
70 } to see if a thread should be "suspended".
3.2 Display random
71 If so, calls wait.
72 displayChar = alphabet.charAt(
character
73 (int) ( Math.random() * 26 ) );
74
4. getIndex
75 outputs[ index ].setText( currentThread.getName() +
76 ": " + displayChar );
77 }
78
79 System.err.println(
80 currentThread.getName() + " terminating" );
81 }
82
83 private int getIndex( Thread current )
84 {
85 for ( int i = 0; i < threads.length; i++ )
86 if ( current == threads[ i ] )
87 return i;
88
89 return -1;
90 }
91

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 24
92 public synchronized void stop()
Outline
93 {
94 // stop threads every time stop is called
95 // as the user browses another Web page
96 for ( int i = 0; i < threads.length; i++ ) 5. stop
97 threads[ i ] = null;
98 Sets all threads to null, which causes
6. Event handler
99 notifyAll(); loop in run to end, and run
100 } terminates.
101
102 public synchronized void actionPerformed( ActionEvent e )
103 {
104 for ( int i = 0; i < checkboxes.length; i++ ) {
105 if ( e.getSource() == checkboxes[ i ] ) {
106 suspended[ i ] = !suspended[ i ];
107
108 outputs[ i ].setBackground(
109 !suspended[ i ] ? Color.green : Color.red );
110
111 if ( !suspended[ i ] )
112 notify();
113
Loop and find which box was checked, and suspend
114 return;
appropriate thread. The run method checks for suspended
115 }
threads.
116 }
117 } If suspend is off, then notify the appropriate thread.
118 }
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 25
Outline

Program Output

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 26
Client/Server example:
class QuizServer constructor
import java.net.*; //Network sockets (communication endpoints)
public class QuizServer extends Frame {
TextArea display; //GUI display for QuizServer
static ServerSocket server; //Serves QuizClients
public QuizServer() {
//… Frame stuff …
try //Create a ServerSocket
{ server = new ServerSocket( 5000, 100 ); }
catch (IOException e)
{ System.out.println("Can't create ServerSocket");
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
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 27
Client/Server example:
class QuizServer main()
public static void main( String args[] )
{ //Check command-line parameter (should be quiz #)
if (args.length < 1 || args.length > 1)
{ System.out.println("Usage: QuizServer <number>");
System.exit(1);
} //OK, get quiz number from command-line
QuizNumber = new Integer(args[0].trim()).intValue() - 1; //Convert to index
//Set up a Frame for the QuizServer
QuizServer qs = new QuizServer();
//Wait for connections from students running the Quiz program
QuizClient client; //a QuizClient
Vector clients = new Vector(25); //keep track of a Vector of clients
while (true) { //server goes into infinite loop
try
{ client = new QuizClient( server.accept(), qs); //create a QuizClient
client.start(); //What is start()?
clients.addElement(client);
}
catch (IOException e)
{ System.out.println("QuizServer couldn't accept QuizClient connection"); }
} //main()
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 28
Client/server example:
class QuizClient
class QuizClient extends Thread {
//How else could I have gotten thread functionality?
//class QuizClient implements Runnable {

Socket connection; //From java.net.*

DataOutputStream output; //Data to socket
DataInputStream input; //Data from socket
QuizServer quizServer; //Talk to my quizServer

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 29
Client/server example:
QuizClient constructor
public QuizClient( Socket s, QuizServer server )
{ //Get input and output streams.
connection = s;
quizServer = server;
quizServer.display.append( "Connection received from: " +
connection.getInetAddress().getHostName() );
try
{ input = new DataInputStream( connection.getInputStream() );
output = new DataOutputStream( connection.getOutputStream() );
}
catch ( IOException e )
{ System.out.println("QuizClient can’t open streams thru connection");
e.printStackTrace();
}
}

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 30
Client/server example:
QuizClient run()
public void run() //excerpts
{ String name=new String();
quizServer.display.append("userIndex="+userIndex);

//Logic for updating student’s score …

//Update UMscores file—Why synchronized?

synchronized (quizServer.studentScores)
{ quizServer.studentScores.writeFile(); }

quizServer.display.append("Updated UMscores for " + name);

connection.close(); //Close this socket connection
}
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 31

Thread Groups

• Thread groups
– Why might it be useful to organize threads into groups?
– May want to interrupt all threads in a group
– Thread group can be parent to a child thread group

• Class ThreadGroup
– Constructors
ThreadGroup( threadGroupName )
ThreadGroup( parentThreadGroup, name )
• Creates child ThreadGroup named name

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 32
Associating Threads with
ThreadGroups

• Use constructors
– Thread( threadGroup, threadName )
– Thread( threadGroup, runnableObject )
• Invokes run method of runnableObject when thread
executes
– Thread( threadGroup, runnableObject,
threadName )
• As above, but Thread named threadName

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 33

ThreadGroup methods

• ThreadGroup Methods
– See API for more details
– activeCount
• Number of active threads in a group and all child groups
– enumerate
• Two versions copy active threads into an array of references
• Two versions copy active threads in a child group into an array
of references
– getMaxPriority
• Returns maximum priority of a ThreadGroup
• setMaxPriority
– getName, getParent

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