GETTING TO KNOW SYNCHRONIZERS

Support for synchronization has been part of the Java programming language since the initial release of the Java platform. This support is designed to prevent simultaneous access to critical code blocks and shared variables. Synchronization gives you the choice of adding the synchronized keyword to a method or wrapping a code section in a synchronized block. J2SE 5.0 adds several mechanisms for coordinating between different threads in an application. This added support is provided by the new java.util.concurrent package. The package includes classes that offer semaphores, barriers, latches, and exchangers -- this tip looks at each of these in more detail.