14.10. Thread-safe Collections and Concurrent Utilities

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is a thread-safe collection?

   Hint

   Think about issues that arise with multiple thread access.

2. 2.

   Name a thread-safe utility in Java.

   Hint

   Consider the utilities in the java.util.concurrent package.

3. 3.

   What is the primary purpose of ConcurrentHashMap?

   • To store data sequentially
   • To allow concurrent access
   • To sort data

   Hint

   Think about why we need data structures in multi-threading.

4. 4.

   True or False: BlockingQueue can block a thread until an element becomes available.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Consider how queues behave when they are empty.

5. 5.

   Implement a simple Java application that uses BlockingQueue to simulate a producer-consumer scenario. Explain how it handles thread safety.

   Hint

   Focus on how the queue manages empty and full conditions.

6. 6.

   Create a performance comparison between ConcurrentHashMap and a synchronized HashMap. Discuss scenarios where one may be preferred over the other.

   Hint

   Consider the frequency of read vs write operations.