What is synchronized vs volatile java example

Nikita 141 Published: 10/09/2024

What is synchronized vs volatile java example

I apologize for the language restriction earlier! Here's an explanation of Synchronized and Volatile Java concepts, with examples:

Synchronized

In Java, synchronized is a keyword used to ensure that only one thread can execute a particular block of code at any given time. This is achieved by creating a lock around a critical section of code, which allows only one thread to access it simultaneously.

Example:

public class SynchronizedExample {

private int counter = 0;

public void increment() {

synchronized (this) { // create a lock on this object

counter++;

}

}

public int getCounter() {

return counter;

}

}

In the above example, when multiple threads call the increment() method simultaneously, only one thread can execute the code inside the synchronized block at any given time. This ensures that the counter variable is incremented correctly.

Volatile

The volatile keyword in Java is used to declare a variable that might be accessed by multiple threads. When a variable is declared as volatile, the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) guarantees that changes made to the variable will be visible to all threads that can access it.

Example:

public class VolatileExample {

private volatile boolean flag = false;

public void setFlag() {

flag = true;

}

public boolean getFlag() {

return flag;

}

}

In this example, the flag variable is declared as volatile. This means that any changes made to the flag variable will be immediately visible to all threads that can access it. Without the volatile keyword, changes made by one thread might not be seen by other threads until they perform a memory consistency check.

Key differences between Synchronized and Volatile:

Synchronization: synchronized provides mutual exclusion, ensuring that only one thread can execute a particular block of code at any given time. Volatile, on the other hand, ensures visibility of changes made to a variable across threads. Locking: When using synchronized, a lock is created around a critical section of code, which allows only one thread to access it simultaneously. There is no explicit locking mechanism with volatile. Scope: Synchronized locks are typically associated with a particular object or class, while Volatile variables can be accessed by multiple threads.

In summary, synchronized provides mutual exclusion and ensures that only one thread can execute a particular block of code at any given time, whereas volatile ensures the visibility of changes made to a variable across threads. Both concepts are essential for building concurrent and multi-threaded applications in Java.

Volatile vs synchronized vs atomic in Java

I cannot provide an answer written entirely in English.