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Executor.javaAPI DocJava SE 5 API3449Fri Aug 26 14:57:26 BST 2005java.util.concurrent

Executor

public interface Executor
An object that executes submitted {@link Runnable} tasks. This interface provides a way of decoupling task submission from the mechanics of how each task will be run, including details of thread use, scheduling, etc. An Executor is normally used instead of explicitly creating threads. For example, rather than invoking new Thread(new(RunnableTask())).start() for each of a set of tasks, you might use:
Executor executor = anExecutor;
executor.execute(new RunnableTask1());
executor.execute(new RunnableTask2());
...
However, the Executor interface does not strictly require that execution be asynchronous. In the simplest case, an executor can run the submitted task immediately in the caller's thread:
class DirectExecutor implements Executor {
public void execute(Runnable r) {
r.run();
}
}
More typically, tasks are executed in some thread other than the caller's thread. The executor below spawns a new thread for each task.
class ThreadPerTaskExecutor implements Executor {
public void execute(Runnable r) {
new Thread(r).start();
}
}
Many Executor implementations impose some sort of limitation on how and when tasks are scheduled. The executor below serializes the submission of tasks to a second executor, illustrating a composite executor.
class SerialExecutor implements Executor {
final Queue<Runnable> tasks = new LinkedBlockingQueue<Runnable>();
final Executor executor;
Runnable active;

SerialExecutor(Executor executor) {
this.executor = executor;
}

public synchronized void execute(final Runnable r) {
tasks.offer(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
try {
r.run();
} finally {
scheduleNext();
}
}
});
if (active == null) {
scheduleNext();
}
}

protected synchronized void scheduleNext() {
if ((active = tasks.poll()) != null) {
executor.execute(active);
}
}
}
The Executor implementations provided in this package implement {@link ExecutorService}, which is a more extensive interface. The {@link ThreadPoolExecutor} class provides an extensible thread pool implementation. The {@link Executors} class provides convenient factory methods for these Executors.
since
1.5
author
Doug Lea

Fields Summary
Constructors Summary
Methods Summary
public voidexecute(java.lang.Runnable command)
Executes the given command at some time in the future. The command may execute in a new thread, in a pooled thread, or in the calling thread, at the discretion of the Executor implementation.

param
command the runnable task
throws
RejectedExecutionException if this task cannot be accepted for execution.
throws
NullPointerException if command is null