Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

Module -5
Multithreaded Programming
➢ Multithreading in Java allows for concurrent execution of multiple parts of a program, known as
threads.
➢ This contrasts with process-based multitasking, where each program is a separate unit, whereas
threads share the same address space and belong to the same process.
➢ Multithreading is advantageous due to its lower overhead compared to process-based multitasking.
➢ It helps in maximizing processing power by minimizing idle time, especially in interactive and
networked environments where tasks like data transmission and user input are slower compared to
CPU processing speed.
➢ Multithreading enables more efficient use of available resources and smoother program execution by
allowing other threads to run while one is waiting.

The Java Thread Model

➢ Java's runtime system heavily relies on threads to enable asynchronous behavior, which helps in
utilizing CPU cycles more efficiently.
➢ Unlike single-threaded systems that use event loops with polling, Java's multithreading eliminates the
need for such mechanisms. In single-threaded environments, blocking one thread can halt the entire
program, leading to inefficiencies and potential domination of one part over others.
➢ With Java's multithreading, one thread can pause without affecting other parts of the program,
allowing idle time to be utilized elsewhere.
➢ This is particularly beneficial for tasks like animation loops, where pauses between frames don't halt
the entire system. Multithreading in Java works seamlessly on both single-core and multicore
systems, with threads sharing CPU time on single-core systems and potentially executing
simultaneously on multicore systems.
➢ Threads in Java can exist in various states, including running, ready to run, suspended, blocked, or
terminated. Each state represents a different stage of thread execution, with the ability to suspend,
resume, or terminate threads as needed.
➢ Overall, Java's multithreading capabilities contribute to more efficient and responsive software
development.
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

Thread Priorities
Thread Priorities : Java assigns each thread a priority to determine its relative importance. Higher-priority
threads are given preference during context switches, but priority doesn't affect the speed of execution.
Thread States: Threads can be in various states like running, ready to run, suspended, blocked, or terminated.
These states govern the behavior of threads in the system.
Synchronization: Java provides mechanisms like monitors to enforce synchronicity between threads, ensuring
that shared resources are accessed safely. Synchronization is achieved through the use of synchronized
methods and blocks.
Messaging: Java facilitates communication between threads through predefined methods that all objects have.
This messaging system allows threads to wait until they are explicitly notified by another thread.
Thread Class and Runnable Interface : Java's multithreading system is built around the Thread class and
the Runnable interface. Threads can be created either by extending the Thread class or implementing the
Runnable interface.
Main Thread : Every Java program starts with a main thread, which is automatically created. The main thread
is crucial for spawning other threads and often performs shutdown actions at the end of the program.
• Thread Methods : Java's Thread class provides various methods for managing threads, including getName(),
getPriority() , isAlive(), join() , run(), sleep() , and start() .

Creating a Thread
Implementing Runnable Interface: To create a thread, you implement the Runnable interface in a class. This
interface abstracts a unit of executable code and requires implementing a single method called run().

Runnable's run() Method: Inside the run() method, you define the code that constitutes the new thread. This
method can call other methods, use other classes, and declare variables just like the main thread can.

Instantiating Thread Object: After implementing Runnable, you instantiate an object of type Thread within that
class. The Thread constructor requires an instance of a class that implements Runnable and a name for the
thread.

Starting the Thread: The new thread doesn't start running until you call its start() method. This method initiates
a call to run(), effectively starting the execution of the new thread.
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
Example: An example code snippet demonstrates creating and starting a new thread:

class NewThread implements Runnable {

Thread t;

NewThread() {
// Create a new, second thread
t = new Thread(this, "Demo Thread");
System.out.println("Child thread: " + t);
}

// Entry point for the second thread

public void run() {
try {
for(int i = 5; i > 0; i--) {
System.out.println("Child Thread: " + i);
Thread.sleep(500);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println("Child interrupted.");
}
System.out.println("Exiting child thread.");
}
}

class ThreadDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
NewThread nt = new NewThread(); // create a new thread
nt.t.start(); // Start the thread
// Main thread continues its execution
// ...
}
}
Extending Thread

Extending Thread Class: To create a thread, you create a new class that extends the Thread class. The
extending class must override the run() method, which serves as the entry point for the new thread.

Constructor Invocation: Inside the constructor of the extending class, you can invoke the constructor of the
Thread class using super() to specify the name of the thread.

Starting the Thread: After creating an instance of the extending class, you call the start() method to begin
execution of the new thread.

Example:

class NewThread extends Thread {

NewThread() {
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
// Invoke Thread constructor to set thread name
super("Demo Thread");
System.out.println("Child thread: " + this);}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
// Entry point for the second thread
public void run() {
try {
for(int i = 5; i > 0; i--) {
System.out.println("Child Thread: " + i);
Thread.sleep(500);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println("Child interrupted.");
}
System.out.println("Exiting child thread.");
}
}

class ExtendThread {
public static void main(String[] args) {
NewThread nt = new NewThread(); // create a new thread
nt.start(); // start the thread
// Main thread continues its execution
// ...
}
}
Creating Multiple Threads

class NewThread implements

Runnable { String name; //
name of thread Thread t;

NewThread(String
threadname) { name =
threadname;
t = new Thread(this, name);
System.out.println("New thread: " + t);
}

// This is the entry point for thread.

public void run() {
try {
for(int i = 5; i > 0; i--) {
System.out.println(name + ": " + i);
Thread.sleep(1000);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println(name + "Interrupted");
}
System.out.println(name + " exiting.");
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

class MultiThreadDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) { NewThread
nt1 = new NewThread("One"); NewThread nt2 =
new NewThread("Two"); NewThread nt3 = new
NewThread("Three");

// Start the threads. nt1.t.start();

nt2.t.start();
nt3.t.start();

try {
// wait for other threads to end
Thread.sleep(10000);
} catch (InterruptedException e) { System.out.println("Main
thread Interrupted");
}

System.out.println("Main thread exiting.");

}
}

Sample output from this program is shown here. (Your output may vary based upon
the specific execution environment.)

New thread: Thread[One,5,main]

New thread: Thread[Two,5,main]
New thread: Thread[Three,5,main]
One: 5
Two: 5
Three: 5
One: 4
Two: 4
Three: 4
One: 3
Three: 3
Two: 3
One: 2
Three: 2
Two: 2
One: 1
Three: 1
Two: 1
One
exiting.
Two
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

exiting.
Three
exiting
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
Main thread exiting.

Using isAlive( ) and join( )

Using the isAlive() and join() methods in Java threads:

• isAlive() Method:
• Defined by the Thread class.
• Returns true if the thread upon which it is called is still running.
• Returns false otherwise.
• Occasionally useful for checking the status of a thread.
• join() Method:
• Also defined by the Thread class.
• Waits until the thread on which it is called terminates.
• The calling thread waits until the specified thread joins it.
• Additional forms of join() allow specifying a maximum amount of time to wait for the specified thread to
terminate.
• Usage:
• join() is commonly used to ensure that one thread waits for another thread to finish its execution.
• This is particularly useful when you want the main thread to finish last or when you need to synchronize the
execution of multiple threads.
• Example:
• An improved version of the example code can use join() to ensure that the main thread is the last to stop.
• Additionally, isAlive() can be used to check if a thread is still running.

// Using join() to wait for threads to finish. class

NewThread implements Runnable {
String name; // name of thread
Thread t;

NewThread(String threadname) {
name = threadname;
t = new Thread(this, name); System.out.println("New
thread: " + t);
}

// This is the entry point for thread. public

void run() {
try {
for(int i = 5; i > 0; i--) { System.out.println(name + ":
" + i); Thread.sleep(1000);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println(name + " interrupted.");
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
System.out.println(name + " exiting.");
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

class DemoJoin {
public static void main(String[] args) { NewThread
nt1 = new NewThread("One"); NewThread nt2 =
new NewThread("Two"); NewThread nt3 = new
NewThread("Three");

// Start the threads. nt1.t.start();

nt2.t.start();
nt3.t.start();

System.out.println("Thread One is alive: "

+ nt1.t.isAlive()); System.out.println("Thread
Two is alive: "
+ nt2.t.isAlive()); System.out.println("Thread
Three is alive: "
+ nt3.t.isAlive());
// wait for threads to finish try {
System.out.println("Waiting for threads to finish."); nt1.t.join();
nt2.t.join();
nt3.t.join();
} catch (InterruptedException e) { System.out.println("Main
thread Interrupted");
}

System.out.println("Thread One is alive: "

+ nt1.t.isAlive()); System.out.println("Thread
Two is alive: "
+ nt2.t.isAlive()); System.out.println("Thread
Three is alive: "
+ nt3.t.isAlive());

System.out.println("Main thread exiting.");

}

Thread Priorities
• Thread Priorities :
• Thread priorities are used by the thread scheduler to decide when each thread should be allowed to run.
• In theory, higher-priority threads get more CPU time than lower-priority threads over a given period of time.
• Higher-priority threads can preempt lower-priority ones, meaning they can interrupt the execution of lower-
priority threads.
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
• Equal Priority Threads:
• In theory, threads of equal priority should get equal access to the CPU.
• However, Java is designed to work in various environments, and the actual behavior may differ depending
on the operating system and multitasking implementation.
• To ensure fairness, threads that share the same priority should yield control occasionally, especially in
nonpreemptive environments.
• Setting Thread Priority:
• Use the setPriority() method to set a thread's priority.
• Syntax: void setPriority(int level)
• The level parameter specifies the new priority setting for the thread, and it must be within the range of
MIN_PRIORITY and MAX_PRIORITY, currently 1 and 10, respectively.
• To return a thread to default priority, use NORM_PRIORITY, which is currently 5.
• Getting Thread Priority:
• Use the getPriority() method to obtain the current priority setting of a thread.
• Syntax: int getPriority()
• Implementation Considerations:
• Implementations of Java may have different behaviors when it comes to scheduling and thread priorities.
• To ensure predictable and cross-platform behavior, it's advisable to use threads that voluntarily give up CPU
time.

Synchronization
➢ When two or more threads need access to a shared resource, they need some way to
ensure that the resource will be used by only one thread at a time. The process by which
this is achieved is called synchronization.
➢ Key to synchronization is the concept of the monitor. A monitor is an object that is
used as a mutually exclusive lock.
➢ Only one thread can own a monitor at a given time. When a thread acquires a lock, it
is said to have entered the monitor. All other threads attempting to enter the locked
monitor will be suspended until the first thread exits the monitor. These other threads
are said to be waiting for the monitor. A thread that owns a monitor can reenter the
same monitor if it so desires.
➢ You can synchronize your code in either of two ways. Both involve the use of the
➢ synchronized keyword, and both are examined here.

Using Synchronized Methods

• Implicit Monitors :
• All objects in Java have their own implicit monitor associated with them.
• To enter an object's monitor, you can call a method that has been modified with the synchronized keyword.
• While a thread is inside a synchronized method of an object, all other threads that try to call synchronized
methods on the same instance have to wait.
• Need for Synchronization :
Synchronization is necessary to ensure thread safety, especially when multiple threads access shared
resources concurrently.
Without synchronization, concurrent access to shared resources can lead to data corruption, race conditions,
and other inconsistencies.
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
• Example :
• The example program consists of three classes: Callme , Caller , and Synch .
• The Callme class has a method call() which prints a message inside square brackets and then pauses the
thread for one second using Thread.sleep(1000).
The Caller class takes a reference to an instance of Callme and a message string. It creates a new thread that
calls the run() method which in turn calls the call() method on the Callme instance.
• The Synch class creates a single instance of Callme and three instances of Caller , each with a unique
message string. All Caller instances share the same Callme instance.

// This program is not synchronized. class

Callme {
void call(String msg) {
System.out.print("[" + msg); try
{
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch(InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println("Interrupted");
}
System.out.println("]");
}
}

class Caller implements Runnable { String

msg;
Callme
target;
Thread t;

public Caller(Callme targ, String s) { target =

targ;
msg = s;
t = new Thread(this);
}

public void run() { target.call(msg);

}
}

class Synch {
public static void main(String[] args) { Callme
target = new Callme();
Caller ob1 = new Caller(target, "Hello");
Caller ob2 = new Caller(target, "Synchronized"); Caller
ob3 = new Caller(target, "World");

// Start the threads. ob1.t.start();

ob2.t.start();
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
ob3.t.start();

// wait for threads to end try {

Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
ob1.t.join();
ob2.t.join();
ob3.t.join();
} catch(InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println("Interrupted");
}
}
}

Here is the output produced by this program:

[Hello[Synchronized[World]
]
]

Interthread Communication
Interprocess communication using wait() , notify() , and notifyAll() methods in Java:

• Purpose:
• These methods provide a means for threads to communicate and coordinate their activities without using
polling, which can waste CPU cycles.
• Method Definitions:
• wait(): Tells the calling thread to give up the monitor and go to sleep until some other thread enters the same
monitor and calls notify() or notifyAll().
• notify() : Wakes up a single thread that previously called wait() on the same object.
• notifyAll(): Wakes up all threads that previously called wait() on the same object. One of the threads will be
granted access.
• All three methods are declared within the Object class and can only be called from within a synchronized
context.
Additional Forms of wait():
• Additional forms of the wait() method exist that allow you to specify a period of time to wait.
• Spurious Wakeups:
• In rare cases, a waiting thread could be awakened due to a spurious wakeup, where wait() resumes without
notify() or notifyAll() being called. To handle this, calls to wait() are often placed within a loop that checks
the condition on which the thread is waiting.
• Best Practices:
• The Java API documentation recommends using a loop to check conditions when waiting, especially due to
the possibility of spurious wakeups.
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

// An incorrect implementation of a producer and consumer.

class Q {
int n;

synchronized int get() {

System.out.println("Got: " + n); return
n;
}

synchronized void put(int n) { this.n

= n; System.out.println("Put: " +
n);
}
}

class Producer implements Runnable {

Q q;
Thread t;

Producer(Q q)
{ this.q = q;
t = new Thread(this, "Producer");
}

public void run() {

int i = 0;

while(true) {
q.put(i++);

}
}
}

class Consumer implements Runnable {

Q q;
Thread t;

Consumer(Q q) {
this.q = q;
t = new Thread(this, "Consumer");
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

public void run() {

Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
while(true) {
q.get();
}
}
}

class PC {
public static void main(String[] args) { Q q =
new Q();
Producer p = new Producer(q);
Consumer c = new
Consumer(q);

// Start the threads. p.t.start();

c.t.start();

System.out.println("Press Control-C to stop.");

}
}

Although the put( ) and get( ) methods on Q are synchronized, nothing stops the
producer from overrunning the consumer, nor will anything stop the consumer from
consuming the same queue value twice. Thus, you get the erroneous output shown here
(the exact output will vary with processor speed and task load):

Put: 1
Got: 1
Got: 1
Got: 1
Got: 1
Got: 1
Put: 2
Put: 3
Put: 4
Put: 5
Put: 6
Put: 7
Got: 7
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

// A correct implementation of a producer and consumer. class Q

{
int n;
boolean valueSet = false;

synchronized int get() { while(!valueSet)

try {
wait();

} catch(InterruptedException e) { System.out.println("InterruptedException
caught");
}

System.out.println("Got: " + n);

valueSet = false;
notif
y();
retur
n n;
}

synchronized void put(int n) {

while(valueSet)
try {
wait();
} catch(InterruptedException e) { System.out.println("InterruptedException
caught");
}

this.n = n;
valueSet = true;
System.out.println("Put: " + n);
notify();
}
}

class Producer implements Runnable {

Q q;
Thread t;

Producer(Q q)
{ this.q = q;
t = new Thread(this, "Producer");
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

public void run() {

int i = 0;
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

while(true) {
q.put(i++);
}
}
}

class Consumer implements Runnable {

Q q;
Thread t;

Consumer(Q q) {
this.q = q;
t = new Thread(this, "Consumer");
}

public void run() {

while(true) {
q.get();
}
}
}

class PCFixed {
public static void main(String[] args) { Q q =
new Q();
Producer p = new Producer(q);
Consumer c = new
Consumer(q);

// Start the threads. p.t.start();

c.t.start();

System.out.println("Press Control-C to stop.");

}
}
Inside get( ), wait( ) is called. This causes its execution to suspend until Producer
notifies you that some data is ready. When this happens, execution inside get( ) resumes.
After the data has been obtained, get( ) calls notify( ). This tells Producer that it is okay
to put more data in the queue. Inside put( ), wait( ) suspends execution until Consumer
has removed the item from the queue. When execution resumes, the next item of data is
put in the queue, and notify( ) is called. This tells Consumer that it should now remove
it.
Here is some output from this program, which shows the clean synchronous behavior:

Put: 1
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

Got: 1
Put: 2
Got: 2
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5
Put: 3
Got: 3
Put: 4
Got: 4
Put: 5
Got: 5
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

Suspending, Resuming, and Stopping Threads

• Deprecated Methods:
• In early versions of Java (prior to Java 2), thread suspension, resumption, and termination were managed
using suspend(), resume(), and stop() methods defined by the Thread class.
• However, these methods were deprecated due to potential issues and risks they posed, such as causing
system failures and leaving critical data structures in corrupted states.
• Reasons for Deprecation:
• suspend(): Can cause serious system failures, as it doesn't release locks on critical data structures,
potentially leading to deadlock.
• resume(): Deprecated as it requires suspend() to work properly.
• stop(): Can cause system failures by leaving critical data structures in corrupted states.
• Alternative Approach:
• Instead of using deprecated methods, threads should be designed to periodically check a flag variable to
determine whether to suspend, resume, or stop their own execution.
• Typically, a boolean flag variable is used to indicate the execution state of the thread.
• If the flag is set to "running," the thread continues to execute. If it's set to "suspend," the thread pauses. If it's
set to "stop," the thread terminates.
• Example Using wait() and notify():
• The wait() and notify() methods inherited from Object can be used to control the execution of a thread.
• An example provided demonstrates how to use these methods to control thread execution.
• It involves a boolean flag ( suspendFlag ) to control the execution of the thread.
• The run() method periodically checks suspendFlag, and if it's true, the thread waits. Methods mysuspend()
and myresume() are used to set and unset the flag and notify the thread to wake up.

// Suspending and resuming a thread the modern way. class

NewThread implements Runnable {
String name; // name of thread
Thread t;

boolean suspendFlag;

NewThread(String threadname) {
name = threadname;
t = new Thread(this, name);
System.out.println("New thread: " + t);
suspendFlag = false;
}
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

// This is the entry point for thread.

public void run() {
try {
for(int i = 15; i > 0; i--) {
System.out.println(name + ": " + i);
Thread.sleep(200); synchronized(this) {
while(suspendFlag) {
wait();
}
}
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) { System.out.println(name +
" interrupted.");
}
System.out.println(name + " exiting.");
}

synchronized void mysuspend() {

suspendFlag = true;
}

synchronized void myresume() {

suspendFlag = false; notify();
}
}

class SuspendResume {
public static void main(String[] args) { NewThread
ob1 = new NewThread("One"); NewThread ob2
= new NewThread("Two");

ob1.t.start(); // Start the thread ob2.t.start(); // Start

the thread

try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
ob1.mysuspend();
System.out.println("Suspending thread One"); Thread.sleep(1000);
ob1.myresume();
System.out.println("Resuming thread One");
ob2.mysuspend();
System.out.println("Suspending thread Two"); Thread.sleep(1000);
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

ob2.myresume();
System.out.println("Resuming thread Two");
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println("Main thread Interrupted");
}

// wait for threads to finish try {

System.out.println("Waiting for threads to finish."); ob1.t.join();
ob2.t.join();
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
System.out.println("Main thread Interrupted");
}

System.out.println("Main thread exiting.");

}
}
When you run the program, you will see the threads suspend and resume. Later in this book,
you will see more examples that use the modern mechanism of thread control. Although this
mechanism may not appear as simple to use as the old way, nevertheless, it is the way required to
ensure that run-time errors don’t occur. It is the approach that must be used for all new code.

Obtaining a Thread’s State

We can obtain the current state of a thread by calling the getState( ) method defined by
Thread. It is shown here:
Thread.State getState( )
It returns a value of type Thread.State that indicates the state of the thread at the time
at which the call was made. State is an enumeration defined by Thread. (An
enumeration is a list of named constants. It is discussed in detail in Chapter 12.) Here
are the values that can be returned by getState( ):

Value State
BLOCKED A thread that has suspended execution because it is waiting to acquire a
lock.
NEW A thread that has not begun execution.
RUNNABLE A thread that either is currently executing or will execute when it
gains access to the CPU.
TERMINATED A thread that has completed execution.
TIMED_WAITI A thread that has suspended execution for a specified period of time,
NG such as when it has called sleep( ). This state is also entered when a
timeout version of wait( ) or join( ) is called.
WAITING A thread that has suspended execution because it is waiting for
some action to occur. For example, it is waiting because of a call to
a non- timeout version of wait( ) or join( ).
Object Oriented Programming with JAVA(BCS306A) Module 5

Part I
The above diagram shows how the various thread states relate.
Given a Thread instance, you can use getState( ) to obtain the state of a thread. For example, the
following sequence determines if a thread called thrd is in the RUNNABLE state at the time getState( ) is
called:

Thread.State ts = thrd.getState(); if(ts ==

Thread.State.RUNNABLE) // ...

It is important to understand that a thread’s state may change after the call to getState( ).
Thus, depending on the circumstances, the state obtained by calling getState( ) may not reflect the actual
state of the thread only a moment later. For this (and other) reasons, getState( ) is not intended to
provide a means of synchronizing threads. It’s primarily used for debugging or for profiling a thread’s
run-time characteristics.