In software development, especially in multi-threaded applications, it's crucial to define tasks that can run concurrently. The `Runnable` interface in Java offers a simple way to encapsulate these tasks.
By decoupling the task from the thread itself, `Runnable` promotes better object-oriented design, testability, and flexibility in thread management.
The Runnable interface in Java is used to represent a task that can be executed concurrently by a thread. It contains a single abstract method run(), where the task's logic is defined. This interface is preferred over extending the Thread class, especially when the class needs to extend another class as well.
Runnable object to run the task.
class PrintTask implements Runnable {
public void run() {
for (int i = 1; i <= 3; i++) {
System.out.println(Thread.currentThread().getName() + " is printing: " + i);
}
}
}
public class RunnableDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Runnable task = new PrintTask();
Thread thread = new Thread(task);
thread.start();
}
}
Execute email sending tasks in the background using Runnable to avoid blocking UI or main threads.
Run multiple data analysis tasks concurrently using threads with Runnable implementations.
Use Runnable to handle frame capturing and encoding operations in parallel threads.
The Runnable interface is used to define a task that can be executed by a thread. It enables concurrent execution without subclassing the Thread class.
Runnable allows a class to extend another class while still enabling multi-threading, whereas extending Thread does not. Runnable is more flexible and preferred for thread management.
Yes, a Runnable object can be passed to multiple Thread instances and executed multiple times, making it reusable.