Develop Reference

how to make main thread wait for another one to finish in Java?

I have come up with following thread 'halo' to make it connect to db (redis, in this case) and in the event that server fails, would wait for a second and try again. In my unit test class, method is executing, and not long after new thread starts, server will fail. But then this new thread 'halo' is immediately shut down. What am I doing wrong?
// almost infinitely large number of sets, interrupted by server seg-fault
// you gotta try company methods
Thread halo = new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
int count = 0;
while (count < Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
if (JedisPoolFactory.getStatus()) {
try {
for (int i = 0; i < 10000; i++) {
master.set(String.format("key_%d", count), String.format("value_%d", count));
System.out.println(master.get(String.format("key_%d", count)));
count++;
}
} catch (JedisConnectionException igr) {
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (InterruptedException ignore) {}
}
} else {
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (InterruptedException ignrod) {}
}
}
}
});
halo.start();
try {
master.debug(DebugParams.SEGFAULT());
halo.join();
} catch (JedisConnectionException ignored) {
} catch (InterruptedException igr) {}

thread joining should be done outside of exceptions, when master goes segfault it invokes jedisconnectionexception.

Running time calculation in multi threading

In my code:
public class thread1 implements Runnable {
public static void main(String[] args) {
thread1 d = new thread1();
new Thread(d).start();
Thread t1 = new Thread(d);
t1.start();
}
#Override
public void run() {
for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
sleep1();
sleep2();
}
}
void sleep1() {
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
synchronized void sleep2() {
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
I ran my code and calculate its running time to finished.
The minimum time to finished was 7 seconds.
Why?
It should be 6 seconds, Because
3loops * 2seconds = 6seconds.

Because of context switching. sleep() is not a guaranteed amount of time, but is subject to other things going on in the system. It will try to come back, but may not succeed. Also, probably rounding in your IDE.

Program running time also accountable. You have put 6 secs to thread sleep. So Next thread will be executed. So context switching takes place.

Java: EDT, SwingUtilities & GUILock

I am using an actionListener to trigger an sequence of events and ultimatley this code is called:
public class ScriptManager {
public static Class currentScript;
private Object ScriptInstance;
public int State = 0;
// 0 = Not Running
// 1 = Running
// 2 = Paused
private Thread thread = new Thread() {
public void run() {
try {
currentScript.getMethod("run").invoke(ScriptInstance);
} catch(Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
};
public void runScript() {
try {
ScriptInstance = currentScript.newInstance();
new Thread(thread).start();
State = 1;
MainFrame.onPause();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
public void pauseScript() {
try {
thread.wait();
System.out.println("paused");
State = 2;
MainFrame.onPause();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
public void resumeScript() {
try {
thread.notify();
System.out.println("resumed");
State = 1;
MainFrame.onResume();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
public void stopScript() {
try {
thread.interrupt();
thread.join();
System.out.println("stopped");
State = 0;
MainFrame.onStop();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
The runnable is created and ran, however, the problem occurs when I try to use the any of the other methods, they lock my UI. (I'm assuming this is because im running this on the EDT) Does anyone know how to fix this?

That's not how you use wait and notify. They need to be executed on the thread that you are trying to pause and resume. Which means you need to send a message to the other thread somehow. There are various ways to do this, but the other thread needs to be listening for this message, or at least check for it occassionally.

Time out method in java

In a java class I have a method that sometimes takes a long time for execution. Maybe it hangs in that method flow. What I want is if the method doesn't complete in specific time, the program should exit from that method and continue with the rest of flow.
Please let me know is there any way to handle this situation.

You must use threads in order to achieve this. Threads are not harmful :) Example below run a piece of code for 10 seconds and then ends it.
public class Test {
public static void main(String args[])
throws InterruptedException {
Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
System.out.println("0");
method();
}
});
thread.start();
long endTimeMillis = System.currentTimeMillis() + 10000;
while (thread.isAlive()) {
if (System.currentTimeMillis() > endTimeMillis) {
System.out.println("1");
break;
}
try {
System.out.println("2");
Thread.sleep(500);
}
catch (InterruptedException t) {}
}
}
static void method() {
long endTimeMillis = System.currentTimeMillis() + 10000;
while (true) {
// method logic
System.out.println("3");
if (System.currentTimeMillis() > endTimeMillis) {
// do some clean-up
System.out.println("4");
return;
}
}
}
}

Execute the method in a different thread, you can end a thread at anytime.

Based on the above snipplet, I tried creating a glorified spring bean.
Such executor runs the passed limitedRuntimeTask in limited runtimeInMs.
If the task finishes within its time limits, the caller continues normally in execution.
If the limitedRuntimeTask fails to finish in the defined runtimeInMs,
the caller will receive the thread execution back. If a timeBreachedTask was defined,
it will be executed before returning to caller.
public class LimitedRuntimeExecutorImpl {
public void runTaskInLessThanGivenMs(int runtimeInMs, final Callable limitedRuntimeTask, final Callable timeBreachedTask) {
Thread thread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
LOGGER.info("Started limitedRuntimeTask");
limitedRuntimeTask.call();
LOGGER.info("Finished limitedRuntimeTask in time");
} catch (Exception e) {
LOGGER.error("LimitedRuntimeTask exception", e);
}
}
});
thread.start();
long endTimeMillis = System.currentTimeMillis() + runtimeInMs;
while (thread.isAlive()) {
if (System.currentTimeMillis() > endTimeMillis) {
LOGGER.warn("LmitedRuntimeTask did not finish in time (" + runtimeInMs + ")ms. It will run in vain.");
if(timeBreachedTask != null ){
try {
LOGGER.info("Executing timeBreachedTask");
timeBreachedTask.call();
LOGGER.info("Finished timeBreachedTask");
} catch (Exception e) {
LOGGER.error("timeBreachedTask exception", e);
}
}
return;
}
try {
Thread.sleep(10);
}
catch (InterruptedException t) {}
}
}
}

I feel the approach in accepted answer is a bit outdated. With Java8, it can be done much simpler.
Say, you have a method
MyResult conjureResult(String param) throws MyException { ... }
then you can do this (keep reading, this is just to show the approach):
private final ExecutorService timeoutExecutorService = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
MyResult conjureResultWithTimeout(String param, int timeoutMs) throws Exception {
Future<MyResult> future = timeoutExecutorService.submit(() -> conjureResult(param));
return future.get(timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
}
of course, throwing Exception is bad, here is the correct extended version with proper error processing, but I suggest you examine it carefully, your may want to do some things differently (logging, returning timeout in extended result etc.):
private final ExecutorService timeoutExecutorService = Executors.newSingleThreadExecutor();
MyResult conjureResultWithTimeout(String param, int timeoutMs) throws MyException {
Future<MyResult> future = timeoutExecutorService.submit(() -> conjureResult(param));
try {
return future.get(timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
//something interrupted, probably your service is shutting down
Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
throw new RuntimeException(e);
} catch (ExecutionException e) {
//error happened while executing conjureResult() - handle it
if (e.getCause() instanceof MyException) {
throw (MyException)e.getCause();
} else {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
} catch (TimeoutException e) {
//timeout expired, you may want to do something else here
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}

In Java: how can I make thread watch over another thread?

Sorry if the question is quite simple. I am a beginner.
I have to create thread that calulates something, while the first thread works the other one have to measure if the first thread calculate the function in specified time. If not, it has to throw exception. Else it returns the answer.

I'd take the java.util.concurrent components - simple example
public void myMethod() {
// select some executor strategy
ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(1);
Future f = executor.submit(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
heresTheMethodToBeExecuted();
}
});
try {
f.get(1000, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
// do something clever
} catch (ExecutionException e) {
// do something clever
} catch (TimeoutException e) {
// do something clever
}
}

Have your thread notify a synchronization object when it is done and have your other thread wait x number of milliseconds for it to finish.
public class Main {
private static final Object mThreadLock = new Object();
static class DoTaskThread extends Thread {
public void run() {
try {
int wait = new Random().nextInt(10000);
System.out.println("Waiting " + wait + " ms");
Thread.sleep(wait);
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
}
synchronized (mThreadLock) {
mThreadLock.notifyAll();
}
}
}
/**
* #param args the command line arguments
*/
public static void main(String[] args) {
synchronized (mThreadLock) {
DoTaskThread thread = new DoTaskThread();
thread.start();
try {
// Only wait 2 seconds for the thread to finish
mThreadLock.wait(2000);
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
}
if (thread.isAlive()) {
throw new RuntimeException("thread took too long");
} else {
System.out.println("Thread finished in time");
}
}
}
}

join is a lot simpler than using a lock.
join (millis)
Waits at most millis milliseconds
for this thread to die. A timeout of 0
means to wait forever.
Example code:
Thread calcThread = new Thread(new Runnable(){
#Override
public void run() {
//some calculation
}
});
calcThread.start();
//wait at most 2secs for the calcThread to finish.
calcThread.join(2000);
//throw an exception if the calcThread hasn't completed.
if(calcThread.isAlive()){
throw new SomeException("calcThread is still running!");
}

Have a look at http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/api/java/util/concurrent/ExecutorService.html#awaitTermination(long,%20java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit) which allows you to handle this without dealing with thread synchronization yourself.