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Creating Threads in Java: Methods Explained

There are two ways to create threads in Java: 1) By implementing the Runnable interface and overriding the run() method, or 2) By extending the Thread class and overriding the run() method. The run() method contains the code for the thread. To start the thread, the start() method must be called which allocates a new call stack for the thread. Simply calling run() directly will not create a new thread as it will use the existing call stack. A thread cannot be started twice as it will throw an IllegalThreadStateException.

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Shanmuka Sreenivas
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14 views4 pages

Creating Threads in Java: Methods Explained

There are two ways to create threads in Java: 1) By implementing the Runnable interface and overriding the run() method, or 2) By extending the Thread class and overriding the run() method. The run() method contains the code for the thread. To start the thread, the start() method must be called which allocates a new call stack for the thread. Simply calling run() directly will not create a new thread as it will use the existing call stack. A thread cannot be started twice as it will throw an IllegalThreadStateException.

Uploaded by

Shanmuka Sreenivas
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Creating a thread

Java defines two ways by which a thread can be created.

By implementing the Runnable interface.

By extending the Thread class.

Implementing the Runnable Interface

The easiest way to create a thread is to create a class that implements the runnable
interface. After implementing runnable interface , the class needs to implement
the run() method, which is of form,

public void run()

run() method introduces a concurrent thread into your program. This thread will

end when run() returns.

You must specify the code for your thread inside run() method.

run() method can call other methods, can use other classes and declare variables

just like any other normal method.

class MyThread implements Runnable

public void run()

[Link]("concurrent thread started running..");

class MyThreadDemo

public static void main( String args[] )

MyThread mt = new MyThread();


Thread t = new Thread(mt);

[Link]();

Output : concurrent thread started running..

To call the run() method, start() method is used. On calling start(), a new stack is
provided to the thread and run() method is called to introduce the new thread into the
program.

Extending Thread class

This is another way to create a thread by a new class that extends Thread class and
create an instance of that class. The extending class must override run() method which
is the entry point of new thread.

class MyThread extends Thread

public void run()

[Link]("Concurrent thread started running..");

classMyThreadDemo

public static void main( String args[] )

MyThread mt = new MyThread();

[Link]();

Output : concurrent thread started running..


In this case also, as we must override the run() and then use the start() method to start
and run the thread. Also, when you create MyThread class object, Thread class
constructor will also be invoked, as it is the super class, hence MyThread class object
acts as Thread class object.

What if we call run() method directly without using start() method ?

In above program if we directly call run() method, without using start() method,

public static void main( String args[] )

MyThread mt = new MyThread();

[Link]();

Doing so, the thread won't be allocated a new call stack, and it will start running in the
current call stack, that is the call stack of the main thread. Hence Multithreading won't be
there.

Can we Start a thread twice ?

No, a thread cannot be started twice. If you try to do


so, IllegalThreadStateException will be thrown.

public static void main( String args[] )


{

MyThread mt = new MyThread();

[Link]();

[Link](); //Exception thrown

When a thread is in running state, and you try to start it again, or any method try to
invoke that thread again using start() method, exception is thrown.

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