Multithreading in Java Thread, Runnable, Sync: Tutorial, Examples, FAQs & Interview Tips

Thread Lifecycle

State	Description
NEW	Thread created but `start()` not yet called.
RUNNABLE	Thread is ready to run or currently running.
BLOCKED	Waiting to acquire a monitor lock.
WAITING	Waiting indefinitely for another thread (e.g., `wait()`).
TIMED_WAITING	Waiting for a specified time (e.g., `sleep()`, `join(timeout)`).
TERMINATED	Thread has finished execution.

Creating Threads

extends Thread vs implements Runnable

// Approach 1: extend Thread
class CounterThread extends Thread {
    private String name;
    public CounterThread(String name) { this.name = name; }

    @Override
    public void run() {
        for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++) {
            System.out.println(name + ": " + i);
            try { Thread.sleep(100); } catch (InterruptedException e) { Thread.currentThread().interrupt(); }
        }
    }
}

// Approach 2: implement Runnable (preferred - allows extending another class)
class PrintTask implements Runnable {
    private String message;
    public PrintTask(String message) { this.message = message; }

    @Override
    public void run() {
        for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
            System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName() + ": " + message);
        }
    }
}

public class ThreadDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
        // Approach 1
        CounterThread t1 = new CounterThread("Thread-A");
        CounterThread t2 = new CounterThread("Thread-B");
        t1.start();
        t2.start();
        t1.join();  // wait for t1 to finish
        t2.join();

        // Approach 2
        Thread t3 = new Thread(new PrintTask("Hello"), "Worker-1");
        Thread t4 = new Thread(() -> System.out.println("Lambda thread!"), "Worker-2");
        t3.start();
        t4.start();
    }
}

synchronized & wait/notify

synchronized & ExecutorService

import java.util.concurrent.*;

class Counter {
    private int count = 0;

    // synchronized - only one thread can execute this at a time
    public synchronized void increment() {
        count++;
    }

    public synchronized int getCount() {
        return count;
    }
}

public class SyncDemo {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
        Counter counter = new Counter();

        // Create 10 threads, each incrementing 1000 times
        Thread[] threads = new Thread[10];
        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
            threads[i] = new Thread(() -> {
                for (int j = 0; j < 1000; j++) counter.increment();
            });
            threads[i].start();
        }
        for (Thread t : threads) t.join();
        System.out.println("Final count: " + counter.getCount());  // 10000

        // ExecutorService - thread pool (preferred over raw threads)
        ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(4);
        for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
            final int taskId = i;
            executor.submit(() -> {
                System.out.println("Task " + taskId + " on " + Thread.currentThread().getName());
            });
        }
        executor.shutdown();
        executor.awaitTermination(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
    }
}

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Key Takeaways

A thread is the smallest unit of execution. Java supports multithreading via Thread class and Runnable interface.
Extend Thread or implement Runnable - prefer Runnable as Java does not support multiple inheritance.
Use synchronized keyword to prevent race conditions when multiple threads access shared data.
ExecutorService manages a thread pool - more efficient than creating new threads manually.
volatile keyword ensures visibility of variable changes across threads - but does not ensure atomicity.
Use AtomicInteger, AtomicLong for thread-safe counter operations without synchronized blocks.
Deadlock occurs when two threads wait for each other - always acquire locks in the same order.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

WRONG new Thread(task).start() in a loop

RIGHT ExecutorService pool = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(4)

Creating new threads for every task is expensive. Use a thread pool to reuse threads and control concurrency.

WRONG int count = 0; count++ in multiple threads

RIGHT AtomicInteger count = new AtomicInteger(0); count.incrementAndGet()

count++ is not atomic - it is read-modify-write. Use AtomicInteger or synchronized for thread-safe counters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between process and thread?

A process is an independent program with its own memory space. A thread is a lightweight unit within a process that shares memory with other threads. Threads are faster to create and communicate, but require synchronization.

What is the difference between synchronized method and synchronized block?

A synchronized method locks the entire object (this). A synchronized block locks only a specific object for a specific section of code - more granular and better for performance.

What is a deadlock and how do you prevent it?

Deadlock occurs when Thread A holds Lock 1 and waits for Lock 2, while Thread B holds Lock 2 and waits for Lock 1. Prevent it by: always acquiring locks in the same order, using tryLock() with timeout, or using higher-level concurrency utilities.

What is the difference between wait() and sleep()?

sleep() pauses the thread for a fixed time and does NOT release the lock. wait() releases the lock and waits until notify() or notifyAll() is called. wait() must be called inside a synchronized block.

Multithreading in Java Thread, Runnable, Sync: Tutorial, Examples, FAQs & Interview Tips

Thread Lifecycle

Creating Threads

synchronized & wait/notify

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