Thread Basics

**Atanu_Banerjee** · 09-28-2009, 10:48 AM

Dear Members :

Trying to have some grip on thread, so could you please explain this
behavior ?
My code :

Code:

public class TestThread1 implements Runnable {

       String threadName;
       int count = 0;

       public TestThread1(String name) {
         threadName = name;
      
       } 

       public void run() {
         try {

           for(;;) {

             System.out.println(threadName);
             Thread.sleep(1000);
             count = count + 1;
             System.out.println(count);
           }

          } catch(InterruptedException ex) {

              System.out.println("Sleep Interrupted");

            } 

        } // run()

         
        public static void main(String[] args) {
          TestThread1 runner1 = new TestThread1("First Thread");
          Thread thread1 = new Thread(runner1); 

          TestThread1 runner2 = new TestThread1("Second Thread");
          Thread thread2 = new Thread(runner2); 

          //thread1.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);
          //thread2.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);

          thread2.start();
          thread1.start(); 

        }


}

The output :
F:\JavaPrograms\THREAD>java TestThread1
Second Thread
First Thread
1
Second Thread
1
First Thread
2
Second Thread
2
First Thread
3
Second Thread
3
First Thread
4
Second Thread
4
First Thread
5
Second Thread
5

My Questions :
[a] Second thread starts run() prints "Second Thread", goes to sleep. First
thread starts run(), prints "First Thread" and goes to sleep. "Second
Thread" wakes up by this time, prints count [1], then prints it's name
"Second Thread", goes to sleep. "First Thread" starts, from where it left,
in for loop, prints count[1], prints it's name, goes to sleep.
Am I right thus far ?
Is it separate instances of run() method for the thread1 and thread2, that
we are seeing "own" count values ?

Next I changed my code as follows:

Code:

public class TestThread1 implements Runnable {

       String threadName;
       int count = 0;

       public TestThread1(String name) {
         threadName = name;
      
       } 

       public void run() {

           for(;;) {

             System.out.println(threadName);
             count = count + 1;
             System.out.println(count);

           }

        } // run()

         
        public static void main(String[] args) {
          TestThread1 runner1 = new TestThread1("First Thread");
          Thread thread1 = new Thread(runner1); 

          TestThread1 runner2 = new TestThread1("Second Thread");
          Thread thread2 = new Thread(runner2); 

          //thread1.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);
          //thread2.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);

          thread2.start();
          thread1.start(); 

        }

}

The output :
F:\JavaPrograms\THREAD>java TestThread3
Second Thread
First Thread
1
Second Thread
1
First Thread
2
Second Thread
2
First Thread
3
Second Thread
3
First Thread
4
First Thread
4
Second Thread
5
First Thread
5
Second Thread

[b] The output is on expected line, even removing sleep (as always mentioned
in demo examples). If the threads are of same priority, why one thread
needs to be slept in order to awaken the other ? Alternate
pattern is maintained thruout, except a repetition of "First Thread" - is
that explainable or just a glitch of OS ?

Now I changed the code as follows:

Code:

public class TestThread3 implements Runnable {

       String threadName;
       int count = 0;

       public TestThread3(String name) {
         threadName = name;
      
       } 

       public void run() {

           for(;;) {

             System.out.println(threadName);
             count = count + 1;
             System.out.println(count);

           }

        } // run()

         
        public static void main(String[] args) {
          TestThread1 runner1 = new TestThread1("First Thread");
          Thread thread1 = new Thread(runner1); 

          TestThread1 runner2 = new TestThread1("Second Thread");
          Thread thread2 = new Thread(runner2); 

          thread1.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY-1);
          thread2.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY+5);

          thread2.start();
          thread1.start(); 

        }

}

The output :

F:\JavaPrograms\THREAD>java TestThread3
Second Thread
First Thread
1
Second Thread
1
First Thread
2
Second Thread
2
First Thread
3
Second Thread
3
First Thread
4
Second Thread
4
First Thread

[c] So nothing changed. I was expecting more of "Second Thread". Why not ?

I am trying clear any misconception of thread I acquired - could someone please show me the way - I appreciate very much.

Thanks in advance.
Atanu Banerjee

**rohitsharma52** · 10-13-2009, 08:00 AM

Hi Atanu,

You are right about your understandings.

Case 1 & Case 2 - without any specific priority given to any thread, every thread is having the same priority and have an equal chance of getting a handle on the resources.

This is the reason why you don't see a fixed pattern. Remember this pattern is somewhat controlled in first case due to sleep but again this is not guaranteed.

Case 3 - with priorities defined, yes the thread with higher priority gets handle first than a thread with lower priority.

Now something funny - why doesn't your observation support the above findings?

notice that both in case 2 and case 3 though you have defined new classes 'TestThread2' and 'TestThread3', but .......you are still using 'TestThread1' inside the main method of each class.

Regards.

**Atanu_Banerjee** · 10-14-2009, 06:34 AM

Hi Rohit :

Thanks for pointing that out. Now coming to the revised output :

Code:

class TestThread1 implements Runnable {


       String threadName;
       int count = 0;


       public TestThread1(String name) {
         threadName = name;
      
       } 



       public void run() {

           for(;;) {

             System.out.println(threadName);
             count = count + 1;
             System.out.println(count);

           }

        } // run()

} // TestTheread1


class TestThread2 implements Runnable {

       String threadName;
       int count = 0;

       public TestThread2(String name) {
         threadName = name;
      
       } 

       public void run() {

           for(;;) {

             System.out.println(threadName);
             count = count + 1;
             System.out.println(count);

           }

        } // run()

} // TestTheread2

 public class TestThreadPrior {
         
        public static void main(String[] args) {
          TestThread1 runner1 = new TestThread1("First Thread");
          Thread thread1 = new Thread(runner1); 

          TestThread2 runner2 = new TestThread2("Second Thread");
          Thread thread2 = new Thread(runner2); 

          thread1.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);
          thread2.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY+2);

          thread1.start();
          thread2.start(); 

        } 

} // TestPriorTest

The output pieces :

Second Thread
1
Second Thread
2
Second Thread
3
Second Thread
4
Second Thread
5
Second Thread
6
Second Thread
7
Second Thread
8
Second Thread
9
Second Thread
10
Second Thread
........
Second Thread
53
Second Thread
First Thread
1
First Thread
2
First Thread
3
54
Second Thread
55
Second Thread
56
Second Thread
57
Second Thread
58
Second Thread
59
Second Thread
60
....
Second Thread
90
Second Thread
91
Second Thread
92
Second Thread
93
....
and no more "First Thread" seen. Is this on expected line ? I was expecting a mix of alternate threads, with more of "Second Thread". I am in favor of avoiding sleep to see how JVM takes care of naturally.

Thanks.
Atanu

**Atanu_Banerjee** · 10-14-2009, 07:07 PM

Hi Rohit :

One more observation. Changing the following, makes no difference in output, to the last one.

Code:

public class TestThreadPrior {
         
        public static void main(String[] args) {
          TestThread1 runner1 = new TestThread1("First Thread");
          Thread thread1 = new Thread(runner1); 

          TestThread1 runner2 = new TestThread1("Second Thread");
          Thread thread2 = new Thread(runner2); 

          thread1.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY);
          thread2.setPriority(Thread.NORM_PRIORITY+2);

          thread1.start();
          thread2.start(); 

        }

It's like whether I want multiple threads based on SAME Runnable instance or multiple threads having individual Runnables, thus different {data and code} space.

This opens me to another idea of trying, using extends Thread and see the outcome.

Regards.
Atanu