Matt,
Lets talk about dead threads
Dead threads are threads that have completed their run() method. Now these threads cannot be started again as you know. Thus to "kill" the
thread you will have to remove or make null any reference that exists to this thread object. The garbage collector will do it job of garbage collection.
About Idle threads
Idle thread are threads what do some work and wait for some event to continue working. To do this your program should contain the logic to exit the run method cleanly based on condition. It is not proper programming logic for you to "kill" a thread.
The concept of "kill" of a thread has thus been "deprecated" if you check up the 1.2 api with the "deprecation" of the stop method and other methods.
------------------
Mahindrakar
IBM Application Server Forum Moderator
Consultant - Zensar Technologies.
SCJP2, SCJD2 & SCJEA (Part I)