Creating and Managing Threads in Java

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore how to create and manage threads in Java. By the end, you will have a clear understanding of the Runnable interface and how to use it to create new threads.

You will learn:

• What threads are in Java
• How to create a new thread using the Runnable interface
• How to manage and control threads

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of Java
• Familiarity with the concept of multithreading

Step-by-Step Guide

Java provides two ways to create a thread: by extending the Thread class or by implementing the Runnable interface. In this tutorial, we will focus on the Runnable interface.

1. The Runnable Interface

The Runnable interface should be implemented by any class whose instances are intended to be executed by a thread. It has a single method called run() that you need to override in your class.

2. Creating a New Thread

To create a new thread, you need to create an instance of your class and pass it to a Thread object's constructor. Then, you can call the start() method of the Thread object to start the new thread.

3. Managing Threads

Once a thread is started, you can manage it by using various methods provided by the Thread class, such as sleep(), join(), interrupt(), etc.

Code Examples

Example 1: Creating a New Thread

// This class implements the Runnable interface
class MyRunnable implements Runnable {
    // Override the run() method
    public void run() {
        System.out.println("Hello from the new thread!");
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Create an instance of MyRunnable
        MyRunnable runnable = new MyRunnable();

        // Create a new thread and start it
        Thread thread = new Thread(runnable);
        thread.start();
    }
}

In this example, we create a MyRunnable class that implements the Runnable interface and overrides the run() method. We then create a new thread in the main() method and start it.

Expected Output

Hello from the new thread!

Summary

In this tutorial, we have learned how to create and manage threads in Java using the Runnable interface. The key points are:

• You can create a new thread by implementing the Runnable interface in your class and overriding its run() method.
• To start the new thread, create an instance of your class, pass it to a Thread object's constructor, and call the start() method.

As next steps, you can learn more about other methods provided by the Thread class for managing threads.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a new thread that prints the numbers from 1 to 10.

Exercise 2: Create two threads that run concurrently and print their names.

Exercise 3: Create a thread that throws an InterruptedException.

You can find solutions and explanations to these exercises on the official Java documentation and various online Java forums. Practice is the key to mastering any programming concept, so keep practicing!

Remember, always follow best practices and write clean and efficient code. Happy coding!