Multithreaded Programming with Java Technology [Paperback]

Bil Lewis (Author), Daniel J. Berg (Author), Sun Microsystems Press (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130170070 | ISBN-13: 978-0130170071 | Publication Date: December 27, 1999 | Edition: 1

Java offers powerful multithreading capabilities -- even on operating systems that offer no inherent multithreading support. Multithreading gives Java developers a powerful tool for dramatically improving the responsiveness and performance of their programs. Now there's a complete guide to multithreaded programming with the Java 2 platform, written by multithreaded programming experts Bil Lewis and Daniel J. Berg. Start by understanding the rationale, fundamental concepts and foundations of multithreading, including the structures upon which threads are built, thread construction and lifecycles. Then, using extensive code examples, you'll master thread scheduling models; synchronization variables; and learn how to solve complex synchronization problems. The authors explain thread-specific data, and demonstrate how to leverage OS libraries to make Java multithreading more effective. They also cover multithreaded program design, interactions with RMI, tools for building threaded programs; and advanced techniques for maximizing thread performance.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

1700G-6

• The ultimate guide to multithreading with Java technology!
• Powerful techniques for enhancing application performance
• Multithreaded program design for network and Internet applications
• Extensive code examples throughout

Multithreading gives developers using the Java 2 platform a powerful tool for dramatically improving the responsiveness and performance of their programs on any platform, even those without inherent multithreading support. Multithreaded Programming with Java Technology is the first complete guide to multithreaded development with the Java 2 platform. Multithreading experts Bil Lewis and Daniel J. Berg cover the underlying structures upon which threads are built; thread construction; and thread lifecycles, including birth, life, death, and cancellation. Next, using extensive code examples, they cover everything developers need to know to make the most of multithreading, including:

• Thread scheduling models and synchronization-with solutions for complex, real-world synchronization problems
• Multithreaded program design for networked and Internet applications
• Thread-specific data: use and implementation
• Leveraging OS libraries to make Java-based multithreading more effective
• Optimizing thread performance and designing for SMP hardware

Powerful techniques and comprehensive example code for improving Java-based application performance with multithreading!

About the Author

Bil Lewis is a consultant who has taught multithreading to over 3,000 programmers. He held a variety of engineering and marketing positions at Sun Microsystems, and co-authored Multithreaded Programming with Pthreads (Prentice Hall PTR).

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Product Details

• Paperback: 461 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (December 27, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130170070
• ISBN-13: 978-0130170071
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #862,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book is less Java than the title suggests., February 13, 2000

By 

Thomas R. Hudson (Research Triangle Park, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multithreaded Programming with Java Technology (Paperback)

The first 150 pages (one third) of this book have little to do with Java. Rather, it is a port of the authors' previous book on POSIX. It talks about three main platforms (Solaris, Digital, and Wintel) and goes into great detail as to how a Java VM uses each OS's primitives to offer Java synchronization. Why?

The authors show bias towards Solaris, and they spend a great amount of time focusing on how you can get the right number of LWPs on Solaris.

If I'm buying a Java book, I'm programming to the Java VM and could care less if Digital Unix gives you one light-weight process per CPU plus one for each outstanding system call. I also don't care about making native calls to the OS under Solaris.

The introduction suggests that multitheading offers increased speed by running on Parellel hardware. I think what people are really looking for is increased responsiveness. Most computers are single-CPU.

The authors are experts in their areas, and they do cover eventually cover multithreading in a no-nonsense manner, with the target audience being the advanced programmer. Don't be annoyed by thier constantly saying, "no, you don't want to do that. Don't do that", and then telling you why in a few more chapters.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Little to do with Java besides the title, February 22, 2002

By 

John Gunning (Double Bay, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multithreaded Programming with Java Technology (Paperback)

That this book was a member of the Sun Java series was the primary reason make me take a look at this book.

I have been highly disappointed. This body of work for this book is primarly a rushed port of the authors other title - named, funnily enough Multithreaded Programming with PThreads.

The Java topics seem to be bolted on as an after-thought - and makes the book read and present very badly. For example a good amount of examples are presented in C not Java, demonstrating POSIX threading!

The author is also in the bad habit of presenting material out-of-order, so that the reader has to wait sometimes 50 pages for clarification. This does not breed suspense, merely frustation at the disorder.

The low-level OS technical coverage is quite adequate - with a good explanation of LWP and POSIX threading (if only this is what I bought the book for!).

The author is clearly a C type who has come to Java and tries to basically recreate the semantics of C POSIX threading in Java... while at the same time constantly drifting back to a topic that he is clearly more comfortable with - PThreads.

This is hardly an embracing approach for a book with the word Java in the title - an obvious cash-in on the behalf of the publisher, Prentice Hall.

Do not buy this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great under-the-hood book for experienced developers, March 16, 2002

By 

Kevin Taylor (Wheaton, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Multithreaded Programming with Java Technology (Paperback)

This was the first threading book I read--which turned out to be a huge mistake. The material is very dense and only a small part of it is Java. Most of the book deals with operating system threading concepts. There is a lot of space dedicated to contrasting MS vs. Unix threading models. Also, comparisons between Java and c threading.

If you are looking for a solid beginner book on Java threading (or threading in general), I highly recommend Concurrency: State Models & Java Programs. This is the second threading book I read and I highly recommend it if your goal is to _understand_ thread theory and problems. It approaches the subject in a very rigorous manner and models all concepts using finite state machines and then showing the Java source code.

If you are already comfortable with basic threading concepts and some systems programming then I would recommend the Multithreaded Programming with Java Technology.

I deducted a star because of a few annoying typos and for a few convoluted sections.