Introduction to Java Threads

This paper explores the basics of threads - what they are, why they are useful, and how to get started writing simple programs that use them. This paper will also explore the basic building blocks of more sophisticated threading applications - how to exchange data between threads, how to control threads, and how threads can communicate with each other. Nearly every operating system supports the concept of processes - independently running programs that are isolated from each other to some degree. Threading is a facility to allow multiple activities to coexist within a single process. Most modern operating systems support threads, and the concept of threads has been around in various forms for many years.