Threading in Java refers to the ability of a program to execute multiple threads of execution concurrently to maximize CPU utilization. A thread is a lightweight process or a path of execution within a program. Generally, all programs have at least one thread, known as the main thread, which is provided by the JVM or Java Virtual Machine at the start of the programs execution. A thread is an execution thread in a program, and multiple threads of execution can be run concurrently by an application running on the Java Virtual Machine. Each thread has its own separate path for execution, so each thread of a process is independent.
Java has great support for multithreaded applications, and it supports multithreading through the Thread class. Java Thread allows us to create a lightweight process that executes some tasks, and we can create multiple threads in our program and start them. Once we have created a Thread, we have to start its execution by calling the start() method.
Key concepts related to threading in Java include:
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Concurrency: Multithreading is the method of running two or more threads at the same time to maximize CPU utilization. Each thread runs in parallel with the others, and since several threads do not assign different memory areas, they conserve memory. Furthermore, switching between threads takes less time.
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Thread States: A thread can be in one of several states, including Running, Suspended, and Blocked.
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Thread Priority: Each thread is assigned a priority, which influences its order of execution. Higher priority threads are executed before lower priority threads.
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Thread Methods: The Thread class has several important methods, including start(), which is used to start the thread in a separate path of execution, and run(), which is invoked by the start() method and contains the code that will be executed in the new thread.
Overall, threading in Java allows for more efficient and effective use of system resources, enabling programs to perform multiple tasks simultaneously without affecting the main program.
