Trigger thread's method by another thread in Java - java

Supposed I have a class MyThread, which implements Runnable with a method dosomething():
class MyThread implements Runnable{
Object dosomething(Parameter p){ ... }
run(){...};
}
If I do:
main(){
MyThread my = new MyThread().run();
Object o = my.dosomething(p);
}
will dosomething be executed on myThread or in the main Thread?
How can I start the execution of dosomething on myThread from the main Thread and retrieve the returned Object?

main(){
MyThread my = new MyThread().run();
Object o = my.dosomething(p);
}
If you do that it won't compile: you're trying to assign the result of a void method, void run(), to an object of type MyThread.
Implementing runnable and calling run() will not cause the code to be executed in a separate thread unless you pass it to another thread (i.e. Tread t = new Thread(my);)
How can I start the execution of dosomething on myThread from the main Thread and retrieve the returned Object?
You do that by storing the result of doSomething() in a location where you can access it later.
class MyClass
{
public Object doSomething()
{
// return the object
return new Object();
}
}
class MyRunnable implements Runnable
{
private final MyClass _mc;
private final object _lock;
private final List<object> _results;
public MyRunnable(MyClass mc, List<object> results, object lock)
{
_mc = mc;
_lock = lock;
_results = results;
}
public void run()
{
synchronized(_lock)
{
_results.add(_mc.doSomething());
}
}
}
So now in main:
void main(){
MyClass mc = new MyClass();
List<object> results = new List<object>();
object lock = new object();
// Execute your thread and wait for it to complete
Thread t = new Thread(new MyRunnable(mc, results, lock ));
t.start();
t.join();
// Get the results
for(object result:results)
{
// do something with the result
}
}
This should give you an idea of what you're doing "wrong." A more realistic example would be if you spawn multiple threads, run them concurrently and then join on all of them until they all complete.

Sounds like you may want to consider Callables and Futures.
There's a decent explanation at http://www.vogella.de/articles/JavaConcurrency/article.html#futures

You can use delegate, for example.
new MyThread(callWhenFinishObject)

It'll be executed on the main thread, since it's that thread that calls the method. If you want dosomething to run in the separate thread, have it called within run() and store the result in a myThread field for later retrieval.
You might want to check class Future or other stuff in java.util.concurrent for some convenient way of waiting for the result to become available.
EDIT: if dosomething should only run until some condition is satisfied that must be flagged in the main thread, have run() block until the main thread somehow signals the other thread that it's okay to go on.
EDIT 2: here, someone confirm this is what's being asked:
package threadtest;
public class Main {
public static void main(final String[] args) {
final MyThread otherThread = new MyThread();
System.out.println("Main thread: I'm gonna start the other thread now...");
otherThread.start();
System.out.println("Main thread: there, hope it does well.");
try {
Thread.sleep(1000); //Lets main thread take a snooze...
} catch(InterruptedException ex) {
//whatever
}
System.out.println("Main thread: I'm gonna do some stuff in the meantime...");
try {
Thread.sleep(200); //Lets main thread take a snooze...
} catch(InterruptedException ex) {
//whatever
}
System.out.println("Main thread: maybe clean up the kitchen.");
try {
Thread.sleep(1000); //Lets main thread take a snooze...
} catch(InterruptedException ex) {
//whatever
}
System.out.println("Main thread: does other thread have something for me yet?");
if(otherThread.getResult() == null)
System.out.println("Main thread: nope, not yet.");
try {
Thread.sleep(500); //Lets main thread take a snooze...
} catch(InterruptedException ex) {
//whatever
}
System.out.println("Main thread: oh crap! I forgot to tell it that it may execute its method!");
otherThread.allowToExecute();
System.out.println("Main thread: phew... better keep checking now before it gets angry.");
while(otherThread.getResult() == null) {
try {
Thread.sleep(100); //Lets main thread take a snooze...
} catch(InterruptedException ex) {
//whatever
}
}
System.out.println("Main thread: there we go, it gave me a result. Rest in peace, other thread...");
}
private static class MyThread extends Thread {
private boolean mayExecuteDoSomething = false;
private Object result = null;
#Override
public void run() {
System.out.println("Other thread: whoa, someone started me!");
while(!mayExecuteDoSomething) {
try {
Thread.sleep(100); //I'm gonna sleep for a bit...
} catch(InterruptedException ex) {
//whatever
}
}
System.out.println("Other thread: alright, I'm allowed to execute my method!");
result = doSomething();
System.out.println("Other thread: there, did it. I'll just call it quits now.");
}
public void allowToExecute() {
mayExecuteDoSomething = true;
}
private Object doSomething() {
return new Object();
}
public Object getResult() {
return result;
}
}
}
This is a very crude approach to the issue. The basic concepts are there, though. In reality, you'd want to use stuff like Callable and Future for proper asynchronous computation.

That is not possible.
When you create a thread, it runs the code in run() and exits.
There is no way to inject code into a different thread; that would break the core execution model. (Within a thread, your code runs sequentially, with nothing in between)
If you want to, you can create a thread that listens for callback (Runnable instances) in a queue and executes them (like a message loop).
This is how the UI thread works.
Also, you aren't actually startign a thread; you need to write new Thread(someRunnable).start()

Related

thread waits until task is done

I don't know how to make for a thread to run until the task is finished.
So i have this class:
public class MainTest {
public static void main(String[] args){
ThreadRunnable t1 = new ThreadRunnable();
Thread t2 = new Thread(t1);
t2.start();
System.out.println(3);
//here the next code to run
}
}
And another that try for example to add data in database:
public class ThreadRunnable implements Runnable{
public void run(){
//code to make the thread waits until the insert is done
//code for inserting data in database
}
}
So, inside method run() i want something like:
- try to insert data in database
- if connection to database is down, wait 5 seconds and try again
- if connection is ok, then insert data, and return successful message that data is added
Is this possible, and if yes, how?
Thanks!
You don’t need to wait for a thread. Just do the retries in a loop in your Runnable:
public void run() {
try {
while (true) {
try {
// Do database operations here
// Succeeded
break;
} catch (SQLException e) {
// Failed; log exception and try again.
logger.log(Level.INFO, "Couldn't save data.", e);
}
// Wait before trying again.
Thread.sleep(5000);
}
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
logger.log(Level.INFO, "Interrupted; exiting.", e);
}
}
Note: An interrupt is an explicit request for a thread to stop what it’s doing and self-terminate. The InterruptedException should not be caught inside the loop, because you want the loop to terminate in the event of an interrupt.
On the other hand, you do want the loop to keep executing in the event of an SQLException, so it should be caught inside the loop.
You can do something like that :
1) Add a waitFor function in your ThreadRunnable
2) Add synchronization via un LOCK variable
The code :
public class ThreadRunnable implements Runnable{
private boolean ended=false;
private final Object LOCK=new Object();
public void run(){
// do my stuff...
...
//at the end, notify the thread waiting for : it will wake up
synchronized(LOCK)
{
ended=true;
LOCK.notifyAll();
}
}
/**
Waits until the task is done
*/
public void waitFor()
{
synchronized(LOCK)
{
while(!ended)
{
//sleeps until notifAll is called (see run())
wait();
}
}
}
}
(in this code, you have to add the try/catch for the InterruptedException)
In your main :
public class MainTest {
public static void main(String[] args){
ThreadRunnable t1 = new ThreadRunnable();
Thread t2 = new Thread(t1);
t2.start();
t1.waitFor();
System.out.println(3);
//here the next code to run
}
}

Why thread cannot update the ArrayList field?

My structure looks like :
public class ReadCSV {
volatile List<FlightDetails> detail;
main() {
ReadCSV obj=new ReadCSV();
obj.detail=Collections.synchronizedList(new ArrayList<FlightDetails>());
new Thread(new Runnable(){
#Override
public void run() {
try {
...
//pass the object along
readAndParseFile("someFile.csv",obj);
} catch (IOException e) {
...
}
// prints Alright
System.out.println(obj.detail.get(0).getDep_loc());
}
}).start();
// Throws AIOB Exception
System.out.println(obj.detail.get(0).getArr_loc());
}
static void readAndParseFile(String csvFileName, ReadCSV obj) {
...
..
//make changes to the object
obj.detail.add()
// works fine
}
While passing the object without the thread, the changes are made.But the changes are not reflected even after making the field Volatile.
1) what is wrong in the above code?
2) Is it alright to follow this approach?
3) what is the general way to do such jobs?
I am very new to multi threading .
If you have a Thread object that does some task and you want to see the results, wait for its termination.
Thread p = new Thread(new Runnable(){
//...
}); // no start here
p.start(); // let it run
p.join(); // wait for its end
There is not much gain in executing another thread while the starting thread has nothing better to do than to wait for the started thread's end.
you need to wait till your reader thread has finished.
you can use futures or Thread.join()

Thread synchronization with Locks and Conditions

I have a problem to understand Locks and Conditions in Java, i do not understand why my code ends up in a deadlock. My programm consists of a Mainthread and a Subthread, subthread is a member of Mainthread. Both threads run in an infinite loop, Subthread's loop is supposed to execute exactly one iteration as soon as it receives the signal for startCond from the Mainthread. Mainthread should wait for the finishCond signal to continue.
import java.util.concurrent.locks.Condition;
import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
public class LockTest {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LockTest lt = new LockTest();
Mainthread m1 = lt.new Mainthread();
m1.start();
}
public class Mainthread extends Thread {
private Subthread sub = new Subthread();
public void run(){
System.out.println("Main start");
sub.start();
while(!isInterrupted()) {
try {
sub.getStartLock().lock();
sub.getStartCond().signal();
sub.getStartLock().unlock();
sub.getFinishLock().lock();
sub.getFinishCond().await();
sub.getFinishLock().unlock();
System.out.println("Main done");
} catch(InterruptedException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
public class Subthread extends Thread {
private Lock startLock = new ReentrantLock();
private Lock finishLock = new ReentrantLock();
private Condition startCond = startLock.newCondition();
private Condition finishCond = finishLock.newCondition();
public Lock getStartLock() {
return startLock;
}
public Lock getFinishLock() {
return finishLock;
}
public Condition getStartCond() {
return startCond;
}
public Condition getFinishCond() {
return finishCond;
}
public void run() {
System.out.println("Sub start");
while(!isInterrupted()) {
try {
startLock.lock();
startCond.await();
startLock.unlock();
finishLock.lock();
finishCond.signal();
finishLock.unlock();
System.out.println("Sub done");
} catch (InterruptedException e) {
// TODO Auto-generated catch block
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
}
My expected output would be:
Main done Sub done
(repeated as many times as it was executed in the loops).
Is there a way to solve this problem easier?
The main thread starts, it creates new sub thread and starts it but calling start on a thread does not mean that the thread would receive the processor imeddiatly and that its code will be actually executed.
Main, callss sub.getStartCond().signal(); but at this moment the sub thread is still not running so it misses this signal.
Main, awaits on the finishCond.
Sub starts executing its run method, it goes to the start condition and waits on it for ever.
The deadlock.
Signal wakes up only CURRENTLY waiting thread, it does not 'remember' previous calls.
Use Semaphore instead http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/concurrent/Semaphore.html
it has the semantic of 'counting the permits'.
There might be a more reliable way to do this. I would recommend using a CountDownLatch initialized with a count of 1, instead of a condition. Both the main and child threads can share the same instance of the latch (since the main owns the child that should be easy). The child will call await() and the main will call countDown() when you need to send the signal to the child. I recommend you make the latch private and final.
class ChildThread extends Thread {
private final CountDownLatch signal;
public ChildThread(CountDownLatch signal) {
this.signal = signal;
}
public void run() {
// The loop is necessary in case we get interrupted.
while (true) {
try {
signal.await();
break;
} catch(InterruptedException ignored) {
}
}
// do the work...
}
}
class MainThread extends Thread {
private final ChildThread child;
private final CountDownLatch signalToChild;
public MainThread() {
signalToChild = new CountDownLatch(1);
child = new ChildThread(signalToChild);
}
public void run() {
// I can start the child right away but I'd rather make sure it
// starts if the main thread has started.
child.start();
// prework
// let's signal the child
signalToChild.countDown();
// now the child is working, let's go on with the main thread work
}
}
This works because main and child thread actually share state, i.e., the latch. It does not matter if the main thread decrements the latch before the child thread is actually started, because the child will check this shared state to know if it can start.

Notify() from runnable

I have myThread.wait() that is in synchronzed(myThread) block. And I have Myrunner that implements runnable. I would like to tell notify() from myRunner, but it is not monitor object. Is it possible to get handle of myThread from myRunnable to make notify? Is there any other solution? Extend myRunnable from Thread and run it is not good for some reasons related on my code specific.
public class ThreadMain {
public Thread reader;
private class SerialReader implements Runnable {
public void run() {
while (true) {
try {
Thread.sleep(3000);
synchronized(this) {
System.out.println("notifying");
notify();
System.out.println("notifying done");
}
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println(e);
}
}
}
}
ThreadMain() {
reader = new Thread(new SerialReader());
}
public static void main(String [] args) {
ThreadMain d= new ThreadMain();
d.reader.start();
synchronized(d.reader) {
try {
d.reader.wait();
System.out.println("got notify");
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println(e);
}
}
}
}
Both threads should synchronize using the same object. Also, you should really not use an existing object to syncronize, but create a object to be used explicitly for synchronization, like
Object lock = new Object();
Also see https://www.securecoding.cert.org/confluence/display/java/LCK01-J.+Do+not+synchronize+on+objects+that+may+be+reused
If the lock is to be used to interact with your thread, you can put it in the thread and provide a getter for anyone to use it.
To notify() a wait()ing thread you much have a reference to the object it is wait() on and you must be able to acquire a lock on it. I suggest you also change a state which notifying and you check that state change in a loop when wait()ing.
The only other option is to change the code of the waiting thread.

Synchronize thread and a method with an object?

I have a method and a thread which I'd like to run in the following order: First the method should do something with an object, and then the thread should do something with the object. They share the same object. I have to synchronize them, but I am just meeting with Threads. How can I do that?
private synchronized method()
{
//do something with an object (a field)
}
Runnable ObjectUpdater = new Runnable()
{
//do something with the object after the method has finished
}
My code, that somehow manages to freeze my Main thread (where the method is)
My thread code:
private Runnable something = new Runnable(){
synchronized (this){
while (flag == false)
{ try {wait();)
catch (IntExc ie) {e.printStackTrace...}
}
//here it does its thing
}
setFlag(false);
}
My method code (part of the main thread)
private void Method()
{
//do its thing
setFlag(true);
notifyAll();
}
To me that is simple questions
" you said that I do not know which is
going to access the object first - the
separate ObjectUpdater thread, or the
main thread (with the method). If the
separate thread accesses it before the
main thread, that is bad and I don't
want this to happen"
if you want the main thread method to call first then the objectUpdater thread , have a flag to know whether the method is visited first by main thread ,if it is updater then call wait to this thread , once main finishes it call notify which will run separator thread,
to know which thread is main thread or updater thread , set a name to the thread while creating it. and get the name as Thread.currentThread().getName().
Use the Semaphore class to allow access to the object.
public class Main
{
public static void main (String[] args) {
final Obj obj = new Obj();
final Semaphore semaphore = new Semaphore(0);
Thread t = new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
semaphore.acquire();
} catch (InterruptedException ex) {
Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
return;
}
obj.doSomething();
}
});
t.setName("test");
t.start();
try {
Thread.sleep(1000);
} catch (InterruptedException ignored) {
}
obj.doSomething();
semaphore.release();
}
}
class Obj {
public void doSomething() {
System.out.println("something done by " + Thread.currentThread());
}
}
Apart from synchronizing on the object, you could call the method as first statement in the new thread, or you could start the new thread at the end of the method.
It is hard to say what is the best approach in your case, maybe you can give us some more details on the how and what?
Update
In answer to your code (for some reason I cannot add another comment...)
Is the method called from a synchronized(this) block? If not the notifyAll() should be in a synchronized block. Also, can you update the code to show where/how your main thread interacts with the method and the object?
I think better approach would be to call the method using which you want to perform something with an object, and then declare the thread which would do something with an object.

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