Re: Start thread in constructor

From:
Daniel Pitts <newsgroup.spamfilter@virtualinfinity.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.programmer
Date:
Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:46:30 -0800
Message-ID:
<47a4f297$0$3033$7836cce5@newsrazor.net>
Arne VajhHj wrote:

Philipp wrote:

In the book "Java Threads" 3rd ed. by Oaks and Wong, we find the
following code example (p. 164):

public class FibonacciProducer implements Runable {
  // <snip> declaration of queue and thr as members
  public FibonacciProducer (BlockingQueue<Integer> q){
    queue = q;
    thr = new Thread(this);
    thr.start();
  }

  public void run(){
    // snip
  }
}

I read somewhere that it is bad practice to start a thread in the
constructor because this may publish the this pointer before the
constructor has returned. Is this not true in this case? Or should we
better code the above with a factory?


I do not like that code.

I would let the caller:
  - construct
  - create thread
  - start

Arne

Just had to chime in here.
That code is indeed incorrect. I suggest writing a letter to the
editor. Too many people learn by mimicking, even if what they mimic is
clearly wrong.

Using a factory is one approach, another approach is to let the client
handle the threading aspect. This is called inversion of control, and
leads to a much more flexible design in many cases.

--
Daniel Pitts' Tech Blog: <http://virtualinfinity.net/wordpress/>

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