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Arraylist synchromization for add method

 
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Hi All,

I have a question regarding synchronizing Array List. I am using an ArayList in a multi threaded environment with Callable interface. I pass an Arraylist object to the Callable method where all the child threads add an entry into the arraylist.
I don't use the arraylist to Iterate anywhere in the Child thread classes. Should I need to synchronize the Arraylist still even if I do only add into that?

Snippet below, please help

main Class
...
ArrayList<String> arrList = new ArrayList<String>();
ImplCallable implCallable = new ImplCallable (arrList);
.
.
.
ImplCallable Class

ImplCallable (ArrayList<String> arrList)
{
this.arrList = arrList;
}
call()
{
.
.
.
.
synchronized(arrList )
{
arrList.add(addString);
}

}

Regards
Subash
 
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Subash Murugan wrote:Should I need to synchronize the Arraylist still even if I do only add into that?



The ArrayList class is not thread safe, so a thread definitely need to synchronize if it is doing anything that is modifying the structure of the class. Also, if a thread is only reading (not modifying) the class, but another thread is modifying the structure of the class, then it too, needs to synchronized.

This, of course, applies to any non thread safe data structure -- and not just the ArrayList class.

Henry
 
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Adding to ArrayList is not an Atomic Operation. It is divided into various small operations like as follows

1. Read the last index
2. Add 1 to this index
3. Replace the last index value with the new value


So if 2 threads got interleaved in these steps , then there might be synchronization issues.
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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