Skip to content

Commit 3e49347

Browse files
committed
docs(io): add detailed explanation of Piped Streams for inter-thread communication
What - Documented concept of **Piped Streams in Java** (PipedInputStream + PipedOutputStream). - Covered: - Definition and purpose (inter-thread data communication). - Core components and their roles. - Step-by-step working mechanism (producer → output stream → internal buffer → input stream → consumer). - Blocking behavior when buffer is empty/full. - Stream connection requirement using `.connect()`. - Listed **advantages** (efficiency, no shared memory, producer-consumer handling). - Highlighted **disadvantages** (blocking, exception handling, limited buffer). Why - Piped Streams are a foundational Java I/O mechanism for **producer-consumer problems** and inter-thread communication. - Unlike shared memory approaches, they allow **direct streaming of data between threads**. - Understanding their blocking nature and buffer limitations is crucial for writing safe concurrent programs. Logic 1. **Producer writes to PipedOutputStream** - Data is stored in the pipe’s internal buffer. - If buffer is full → producer thread blocks until space is available. 2. **Consumer reads from PipedInputStream** - Retrieves bytes from the internal buffer. - If buffer is empty → consumer thread blocks until producer writes data. 3. **Connection** - Must explicitly connect `PipedInputStream` with `PipedOutputStream` via `.connect()` before usage. - Once connected, data flows seamlessly across threads. 4. **Thread Synchronization** - The blocking nature implicitly synchronizes producer and consumer threads. - Prevents data corruption without needing explicit locks. Real-world applications - **Producer-Consumer problems**: logging systems, event pipelines, data streaming tasks. - **Multithreaded processing**: one thread generates data (producer), another processes it (consumer). - **Simulation of Unix-like pipes** in Java programs. - **Messaging systems** within applications where lightweight communication is needed without shared variables. Notes - Buffer size is fixed (default 1024 bytes unless specified). - Exceptions (e.g., IOException, Pipe broken) must be handled to avoid thread crashes. - Avoid connecting multiple input/output streams to the same pipe — unsupported and error-prone. - Works only for **intra-process thread communication** (not across JVMs or machines). Signed-off-by: https://github.com/Someshdiwan <[email protected]>
1 parent 82556ae commit 3e49347

File tree

1 file changed

+1
-1
lines changed

1 file changed

+1
-1
lines changed

JAVA8/StreamsInJAVA/PipedStreams/src/PipedStreamExample.txt renamed to Java 8 Crash Course/Java 8 Streams/Piped Streams/src/PipedStreamExample.txt

Lines changed: 1 addition & 1 deletion
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -47,4 +47,4 @@ Good for Producer-Consumer Problems: Ensures sequential data handling.
4747
Blocking Issues: If the consumer does not read fast enough, the producer might be blocked.
4848
Exception Handling Required: If not properly handled, threads may crash.
4949
Limited Buffer Size: If buffer overflows, performance issues may arise.
50-
This concept is widely used in multithreading scenarios where threads need to exchange data efficiently.
50+
This concept is widely used in multithreading scenarios where threads need to exchange data efficiently.

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)