Computer

Science
School

Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi

2017

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

A quick recap

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

Process 5
Process 6
Operating System Processes and Threads…
Process 7 Context Switch

Process 8

Process 1 Process 2 Process 3 Process 4

thread1 thread2 thread1

thread2
VM

thread3

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

What is more useful to us?

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

Processes vs. Threads

 I want more CPU time and Memory from the system
Processes
 I should write ____________

 I want to gracefully degrade upon a crash

 I should write ____________
Processes

 I want to easily share memory

 I should write ____________
Threads

 I want to switch quickly between tasks

 I should write ____________
Threads
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

Writing in threads, is it faster?

 Yes!
 A typical code usually involves (a lot of) I\O requests
 Whenever the thread waits for I\O - it is blocked
 And another thread is executed in the meanwhile… saving execution time
Blocked

Scheduler choice

Ready Queue
End of Time slice Running
C B A

Thumb rule 1: A code that requests a lot of I\O should be executed as a thread!
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

In Java

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

What is the problem here?

public class CLI {
public void start() throws IOException{
public class MyTask {
long x; MyTask t=new MyTask();
volatile boolean stop;
[Link]("1. start task");
public MyTask() { [Link]("2. get X");
stop=false; [Link]("3. stop task");
x=0; [Link]("4. exit");
} BufferedReader in=new BufferedReader(new
public void doTask(){ InputStreamReader([Link]));
while(!stop){ int input=0;
x++; while(input!=4){
} input=[Link]([Link]());
} switch(input){
public void stopTask(){ case 1: [Link]();break; We are stuck here forever!!!
stop=true; case 2: [Link]([Link]());break;
} case 3: [Link]();break;
long getX(){ return x;} }
} }
}
}
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

Thread & Runnable

<<Runnable>>
void run()

Thread
Runnable r;
void run() {
[Link]();
}
void start() Tells the JVM to execute run() in a thread
… i.e., run() enters the Ready Queue

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

Option 1: extending Thread

1. Extended the Thread class
2. Override the run() method
Thread
3. Call start to execute in parallel
run()
start()
// in the CLI class
MyTask t=new MyTask();
int input=0;
MyTask while(input!=4){
input=[Link]([Link]());
run(){ doTask(); } switch(input){
case 1: [Link]();break; // now it’s asynchronous execution
case 2: [Link]([Link]());break;
case 3: [Link]();break;
}
}

But sometimes our class is not a type of Thread or it already extends something else
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

Option 2: implementing Runnable

1. Implement the Runnable interface
2. Create an instance of Thread
Thread <<Runnable>> 3. Inject the Runnable
start() run() 4. Call start

// in the CLI class

MyTask MyTask task=new MyTask(); // it’s a type of Runnable
Thread t=new Thread(task);
//...
run(){ doTask(); }
case 1: [Link]();break; // now it’s asynchronous execution

This is a typical strategy pattern, but what if we don’t want to (or can’t) change MyTask?
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

Option 3: using object adapters!

Thread <<Runnable>> Thread t=new Thread(new TaskRunnable(new MyTask()));

start() run() [Link]();

TaskRunnable
<<Task>>
Task t; doTask()
run(){ [Link](); }

MyTask

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

Option 4: owning a thread

 MyTask can own a thread instead of being ran as a thread
 Use it if we always need the task to run in parallel

// in MyTask class we create a thread

public void doTask(){ // using anonymous class
new Thread(new Runnable() {

@Override
public void run() {
while(!stop){
x++;
}
}
}).start();
}
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

Option 4: owning a thread

 MyTask can own a thread instead of being ran as a thread
 Use it if we always need the task to run in parallel
// in MyTask class we create a thread
public void doTask(){// using lambda!
new Thread(
()-> {
while(!stop){
x++;
}
}
).start();
}

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

 Computer
Science
School

The Best Choice!

 Let’s decuple the task and user interface
 The UI should be executed as a Thread due to its I/O
 The Task is a Task, someone else can run it as a Thread
public class CLI extends Thread{ // run the task in parallel
Task task; private void runTaskInThread(){
public CLI(Task task) { new Thread(()->[Link]()).start();
[Link]=task; }
}

public void run(){ // the main

... CLI ui=new CLI(new MyTask());
case 1: runTaskInThread();break; [Link]();
... // the main thread is now dead.
} // the ui thread continues...
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

Sleep, Wait, Join

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

The Thread class

 The thread class has many control methods
 We can make a thread fall asleep
 We can weak it up with an interrupt
 We can cause it to wait and notify it when to continue
 We can wait for it to end
 We can ask if it is still alive
 Etc.

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”);
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
… Born C B A Running
[Link](1000);
…
obj.foo2();
[Link]();

Thread tC
obj.foo1();
…
[Link]();
…
obj.foo2();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”); Blocked
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
… Born C B Running A
[Link](1000);
…
obj.foo2();
[Link]();

Thread tC
obj.foo1();
…
[Link]();
…
obj.foo2();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”); Blocked
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
A
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
End of Time slice Running B
… Born C
[Link](1000);
…
obj.foo2();
[Link]();

Thread tC
obj.foo1();
…
[Link]();
…
obj.foo2();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”); Blocked
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
A
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
End of Time slice Running B
… Born C
[Link](1000);
…
obj.foo2();
[Link]();

Thread tC Sleep
obj.foo1();
…
[Link]();
…
obj.foo2();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”); Blocked
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
End of Time slice Running C
… Born A
[Link](1000);
…
obj.foo2(); [Link](x)
[Link]();

Thread tC Sleep
[Link]()
obj.foo1(); B
…
[Link]();
…
Wait
obj.foo2();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”); Blocked
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
End of Time slice Running
… Born B Dead
[Link](1000); A
…
obj.foo2(); [Link](x)
[Link]();

Thread tC Sleep
obj.foo1(); [Link]()
…
[Link]();
…
Wait
obj.foo2(); C
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

The Thread Life Cycle

Thread tA
while((line = [Link]())!=null){
String sp[]=[Link](“,”); Blocked
for(String s : sp)
[Link](s);
}
[Link]();

Thread tB Scheduler choice

obj.foo1(); Ready Queue
End of Time slice Running
… Born C Dead
[Link](1000); B
… A
obj.foo2(); [Link](x)
[Link]();

Thread tC Sleep
obj.foo1(); [Link]()
…
[Link]();
…
Wait
obj.foo2();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

What is preferable?
 // wait for threat t to finish  // wait for threat t to finish
 while([Link]());  while([Link]()){
 // continue  [Link](3*1000);
 This is busy waiting!!!  } // continue
 This is not accurate enough
 // wait for thread t to finish
 [Link](5*1000);  // wait for threat t to finish
 // continue  [Link]();
 This is guessing!  // continue
 No busy waiting nor guessing
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

 Computer
Science
School

can and be at the same spot?

public class PacmanGame { public class Ghost1 extends Thread{
private PacmanGame pg;
int maze[][]={/*...*/}; private int x,y;
public Ghost1(PacmanGame pg) {
public void moveGhost1(int x,int y){ [Link]=pg;
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? }
maze[y][x]=1; public void run(){
} // calculate strategy...
//...
public void moveGhost2(int x,int y){ pg.moveGhost1(x, y);
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? } // main
maze[y][x]=2; } PacmanGame pg=new PacmanGame();
} Ghost1 g1=new Ghost1(pg);
Ghost2 g2=new Ghost2(pg);
} [Link]();
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 © [Link]();
 Computer
Science
School

Sure they can be at the same spot!

public class PacmanGame {

int maze[][]={/*...*/};
• Both threads can cross the IF sentence in the same time
public void moveGhost1(int x,int y){ • Before anyone of them sets a value to maze[y][x]
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? :G1 • One of the values is overwritten and lost…
maze[y][x]=1;
}
maze[y][x]== 120
public void moveGhost2(int x,int y){
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? :G2
maze[y][x]=2;
}

}
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

Sure they can be at the same spot!

public class PacmanGame {

int maze[][]={/*...*/};
• Both threads can cross the IF sentence in the same time
public void moveGhost1(int x,int y){ • Before anyone of them sets a value to maze[y][x]
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? • One of the values is overwritten and lost…
maze[y][x]=1;
}

public void moveGhost2(int x,int y){ • We can solve this problem using synchronize!
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear?
maze[y][x]=2; • In the next lesson we’ll learn about
} • Problems with synchronize
• Advanced tools instead
}
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
 Computer
Science
School

Synchronized methods
public class PacmanGame {
While a thread is executing a synchronized
int maze[][]={/*...*/}; method of an object o, all other threads that
try to access any other synchronized methods
synchronized public void moveGhost1(int x,int y){ of o are blocked until the thread has finished
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? executing the method.
maze[y][x]=1;
} They can execute other methods of o.
They can execute synchronized methods of
synchronized public void moveGhost2(int x,int y){ other objects.
if(maze[y][x]==0)// clear? They cannot execute synchronized methods of o.
maze[y][x]=2;
}

}
Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©
Computer
Science
School

MyObject o

Thread t1: o.m1(); Locked by t1

Thread t2: o.m1(); public synchronized m1() {…}

public synchronized m2() {…}
Thread t2: o.m2();
public m3() {…}
Thread t2: o.m3();

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

MyObject o

Locked by t2

Thread t2: o.m1(); public synchronized m1() {…}

public synchronized m2() {…}
Thread t2: o.m2();
public m3() {…}
Thread t2: o.m3();

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

MyObject o

Thread t1: o.m1(); Locked by t1

public synchronized m1() {…}

public synchronized m2() {…}
public m3() {…}

Thread t2: o2.m1(); MyObject o2

Locked by t2

public synchronized m1() {…}

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©

Computer
Science
School

Other ways to use synchronized

 A synchronized block:  Static methods can also be
synchronized
 public void m(){  Every class has an object:
 // not synced…  Class class;

 synchronized(myObject) {  As every other object it has a lock

 // synced code
}
 // not synced…
}

Advanced Software Development 2, Dr. Eliahu Khalastchi, 2017 ©