Which are concurrent collections in Java?

Constance 36 Published: 12/19/2024

Which are concurrent collections in Java?

I'd be happy to help you with that!

Concurrent collections in Java refer to the data structures and classes provided by the Java Collections Framework (JCF) that enable safe and efficient manipulation of shared resources, such as lists, sets, maps, and queues, while multiple threads access and modify them concurrently. In other words, concurrent collections are designed to handle the challenges of multithreaded programming in Java.

Here are some of the most important concurrent collections in Java:

CopyOnWriteArrayList: This is a variant of the ArrayList class that provides a thread-safe, but potentially less efficient, implementation. It's called "copy on write" because every time a modification is made to the list, a copy of the entire list is created. ConcurrentHashMap: A map implementation that allows multiple threads to access and modify its contents concurrently. This class has a similar interface to the traditional HashMap but uses atomic operations under the hood to ensure thread safety.

CopyOnWriteArraySet: Similar to CopyOnWriteArrayList, this is a set implementation that provides a thread-safe way of handling sets. ConcurrentLinkedQueue: A queue implementation designed for high-performance multithreaded applications. This class uses a lock-free algorithm and atomic operations to ensure thread safety. ConcurrentSkipListMap: A map implementation that provides fast and efficient lookup, insertion, and deletion operations while allowing multiple threads to access the map concurrently. ConcurrentHashMap's subclasses: There are several subclasses of ConcurrentHashMap, such as ConcurrentReferenceHash, which provide specific functionality for working with references.

When choosing a concurrent collection in Java, consider the following factors:

Mutability vs Immutability: Some collections (like CopyOnWriteArrayList) allow modifications, while others (like Collections.unmodifiableList()) do not. Choose the one that fits your use case. Performance and Scalability: If you expect high volumes of concurrent access, choose a collection optimized for performance (e.g., ConcurrentHashMap).

Synchronization and Locking: Consider how threads will interact with each other when accessing the collection. Will you need to manually lock or synchronize access? Or will the collection itself handle it?

In summary, Java provides a range of concurrent collections that can help developers write more robust and scalable code for multithreaded applications. By understanding the characteristics and trade-offs between these classes, you'll be better equipped to choose the best one for your specific needs.

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Java concurrent collections list example

I'm happy to provide an example of using the java.util.concurrent package, specifically the ConcurrentHashMap and CopyOnWriteArrayList, in a concurrent programming scenario.

Let's consider a simple banking system where multiple threads need to access and update account balances concurrently. We'll use ConcurrentHashMap to store customer accounts with their balances and CopyOnWriteArrayList to keep track of transaction history.

Here's an example code:

import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;

import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;

import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;

class BankAccount {

private int balance;

private ConcurrentHashMap<String, Integer> transactions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();

public BankAccount(int initialBalance) {

balance = initialBalance;

}

public void deposit(String customerName, int amount) {

balance += amount;

transactions.put(customerName, balance);

}

public void withdraw(String customerName, int amount) {

if (balance >= amount) {

balance -= amount;

transactions.put(customerName, balance);

} else {

System.out.println("Insufficient funds!");

}

}

}

class TransactionThread extends Thread {

private BankAccount account;

private CopyOnWriteArrayList history = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();

public TransactionThread(BankAccount account) {

this.account = account;

}

@Override

public void run() {

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) { // simulate multiple transactions

int amount = (int) (Math.random() * 100); // random transaction amount

if (Math.random() > 0.5) { // 50% chance of deposit or withdrawal

account.deposit("Customer " + Thread.currentThread().getName(), amount);

} else {

account.withdraw("Customer " + Thread.currentThread().getName(), amount);

}

history.add(new Transaction(Thread.currentThread().getName(), amount));

}

}

}

class Transaction {

private String customer;

private int amount;

public Transaction(String customer, int amount) {

this.customer = customer;

this.amount = amount;

}

@Override

public String toString() {

return "Transaction{" +

"customer='" + customer + ''' +

", amount=" + amount +

'}';

}

}

public class ConcurrentBankingExample {

public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {

BankAccount account = new BankAccount(1000);

Thread[] threads = new Thread[5]; // create 5 threads

for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {

TransactionThread thread = new TransactionThread(account);

threads[i] = thread;

thread.start();

}

// wait for all transactions to complete

for (Thread t : threads) {

t.join();

}

System.out.println("Final account balance: " + account.balance);

CopyOnWriteArrayList transactionHistory = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();

account.transactions.forEach((customer, amount) -> {

transactionHistory.add(new Transaction(customer, amount));

});

System.out.println("Transaction History:");

for (Transaction t : transactionHistory) {

System.out.println(t);

}

}

}

In this example:

We have a BankAccount class that represents a customer's account with methods to deposit and withdraw funds. A ConcurrentHashMap is used to store the account balance and transaction history for each customer. The CopyOnWriteArrayList is used to keep track of transaction history without blocking other threads.

Multiple threads are created, each simulating multiple transactions (deposits or withdrawals). Each thread updates the account balance using the ConcurrentHashMap.

After all transactions have been completed, we print the final account balance and transaction history.

This example demonstrates how java.util.concurrent classes can be used to write concurrent code that is safe, efficient, and easy to understand.