[Chapter 12] ThreadGroup
Author: Mark Grand and Jonathan Knudsen
Date: Fri Aug 8 17:07:05 1997

#

| Chapter 12 The java.lang Package |

# ThreadGroup

## Name

ThreadGroup

## Synopsis

Class Name:

  `java.lang.ThreadGroup`

Superclass:

  `java.lang.Object`

Immediate Subclasses:

  None

Interfaces Implemented:

  None

Availability:

  JDK 1.0 or later

## Description

The `ThreadGroup` class implements a grouping scheme for threads. A `ThreadGroup` object can own `Thread` objects and other `ThreadGroup` objects. The `ThreadGroup` class provides methods that allow a `ThreadGroup` object to control its `Thread` and `ThreadGroup` objects as a group. For example, `suspend()` and `resume()` methods of a `ThreadGroup` object call the `suspend()` and `resume()` methods of each of the `Thread` and `ThreadGroup` objects that belong to the particular `ThreadGroup`.

When a Java program starts, a `ThreadGroup` object is created to own the first `Thread`. Any additional `ThreadGroup` objects are explicitly created by the program.

## Class Summary

    public class java.lang.ThreadGroup extends java.lang.Object {
        // Constructors
        public ThreadGroup(String name);
        public ThreadGroup(ThreadGroup parent, String name;
        // Instance Methods
        public int activeCount();
        public int activeGroupCount();
        public boolean allowThreadSuspension(boolean b);       // New in 1.1
        public final void checkAccess();
        public final void destroy();
        public int enumerate(Thread list[]);
        public int enumerate(Thread list[], boolean recurse);
        public int enumerate(ThreadGroup list[]);
        public int enumerate(ThreadGroup list[], boolean recurse);
        public final int getMaxPriority();
        public final String getName();
        public final ThreadGroup getParent();
        public final boolean isDaemon();
        public synchronized boolean isDestroyed();             // New in 1.1
        public void list();
        public final boolean parentOf(ThreadGroup g);
        public final void resume();
        public final void setDaemon(boolean daemon);
        public final void setMaxPriority(int pri);
        public final void stop();
        public final void suspend();
        public String toString();
        public void uncaughtException(Thread t, Throwable e);
    }

## Constructors

### ThreadGroup

#### `public ThreadGroup(String name)`

Parameters

  `name`

    The name of this `ThreadGroup` object.

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  Creates a `ThreadGroup` object that has the specified name and the same parent `ThreadGroup` as the current thread.

#### `public ThreadGroup(ThreadGroup parent, String name)`

Parameters

  `parent`

    The `ThreadGroup` object that this `ThreadGroup` object is to be added to.

  `name`

    The name of this `ThreadGroup` object.

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  Creates a `ThreadGroup` object with the specified name and parent `ThreadGroup` object.

## Instance Methods

### activeCount

#### `public int activeCount()`

Returns

  An approximation of the current number of threads in this `ThreadGroup` object and any child `ThreadGroup` objects.

Description

  This method returns an approximation of the number of threads that belong to this `ThreadGroup` object and any child `ThreadGroup` objects. The count is approximate because a thread can die after it is counted, but before the complete count is returned. Also, after a child `ThreadGroup` is counted but before the total count is returned, additional `Thread` and `ThreadGroup` objects can be added to a child `ThreadGroup`.

### activeGroupCount

#### `public int activeGroupCount()`

Returns

  An approximation of the current number of child `ThreadGroup` objects in this `ThreadGroup` object.

Description

  This method returns an approximation of the number of child `ThreadGroup` objects that belong to this `ThreadGroup` object. The count is approximate because after a child `ThreadGroup` is counted but before the total count is returned, additional `ThreadGroup` objects can be added to a child `ThreadGroup`.

### allowThreadSuspension

#### `public boolean allowThreadSuspension(boolean b)`

Availability

  New as of JDK 1.1

Parameters

  `b`

    A `boolean` value that specifies whether or not the run-time system is allowed to suspend threads due to low memory.

Returns

  The `boolean` value `true`.

Description

  This method specifies whether or not the Java virtual machine is allowed to suspend threads due to low memory.

### checkAccess

#### `public final void checkAccess()`

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  This method determines if the currently running thread has permission to modify this `ThreadGroup` object.

### destroy

#### `public final void destroy()`

Throws

  `IllegalThreadStateException`

    If this `ThreadGroup` object is not empty, or if it has already been destroyed.

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  This method destroys this `ThreadGroup` object and any child `ThreadGroup` objects. The `ThreadGroup` must not contain any `Thread` objects. This method also removes the `ThreadGroup` object from its parent `ThreadGroup` object.

### enumerate

#### `public int enumerate(Thread list[])`

Parameters

  `list`

    A reference to an array of `Thread` objects.

Returns

  The number of `Thread` objects stored in the array.

Description

  This method stores a reference in the array for each of the `Thread` objects that belongs to this `ThreadGroup` or any of its child `ThreadGroup` objects.

  If the array is not big enough to contain references to all the `Thread` objects, only as many references as will fit are put into the array. No indication is given that some `Thread` objects were left out, so it is a good idea to call `activeCount()` before calling this method, to get an idea of how large to make the array.

#### `public int enumerate(Thread list[], boolean recurse)`

Parameters

  `list`

    A reference to an array of `Thread` objects.

  `recurse`

    A `boolean` value that specifies whether or not to include `Thread` objects that belong to child `ThreadGroup` objects of this `ThreadGroup` object.

Returns

  The number of `Thread` objects stored in the array.

Description

  This method stores a reference in the array for each of the `Thread` objects that belongs to this `ThreadGroup` object. If `recurse` is `true`, the method also stores a reference for each of the `Thread` objects that belongs to a child `ThreadGroup` object of this `ThreadGroup`.

  If the array is not big enough to contain references to all the `Thread` objects, only as many references as will fit are put into the array. No indication is given that some `Thread` objects were left out, so it is a good idea to call `activeCount()` before calling this method, to get an idea of how large to make the array.

#### `public int enumerate(ThreadGroup list[])`

Parameters

  `list`

    A reference to an array of `ThreadGroup` objects.

Returns

  The number of `ThreadGroup` objects stored in the array.

Description

  This method stores a reference in the array for each `ThreadGroup` object that belongs to this `ThreadGroup` or any of its child `ThreadGroup` objects.

  If the array is not big enough to contain references to all the `ThreadGroup` objects, only as many references as will fit are put into the array. No indication is given that some `ThreadGroup` objects were left out, so it is a good idea to call `activeGroupCount()` before calling this method, to get an idea of how large to make the array.

#### `public int enumerate(Thread list[], boolean recurse)`

Parameters

  `list`

    A reference to an array of `ThreadGroup` objects.

  `recurse`

    A `boolean` value that specifies whether or not to include `ThreadGroup` objects that belong to child `ThreadGroup` objects of this `ThreadGroup` object.

Returns

  The number of `ThreadGroup` objects stored in the array.

Description

  This method stores a reference in the array for each of the `ThreadGroup` objects that belongs to this `ThreadGroup` object. If `recurse` is `true`, the method also stores a reference for each of the `ThreadGroup` objects that belongs to a child `ThreadGroup` object of this `ThreadGroup`.

  If the array is not big enough to contain references to all the `ThreadGroup` objects, only as many references as will fit are put into the array. No indication is given that some `ThreadGroup` objects were left out, so it is a good idea to call `activeGroupCount()` before calling this method, to get an idea of how large to make the array.

### getMaxPriority

#### `public final int getMaxPriority()`

Returns

  The maximum priority that can be assigned to `Thread` objects that belong to this `ThreadGroup` object.

Description

  This method returns the maximum priority that can be assigned to `Thread` objects that belong to this `ThreadGroup` object.

  It is possible for a `ThreadGroup` to contain `Thread` objects that have higher priorities than this maximum, if they were given that higher priority before the maximum was set to a lower value.

### getName

#### `public final String getName()`

Returns

  The name of this `ThreadGroup` object.

Description

  This method returns the name of this `ThreadGroup` object.

### getParent

#### `public final ThreadGroup getParent()`

Returns

  The parent `ThreadGroup` object of this `ThreadGroup`, or `null` if this `ThreadGroup` is the root of the thread group hierarchy.

Description

  This method returns the parent `ThreadGroup` object of this `ThreadGroup` object. If this `ThreadGroup` is at the root of the thread group hierarchy and has no parent, the method returns `null`.

### isDaemon

#### `public final boolean isDaemon()`

Returns

  `true` if this `ThreadGroup` is a daemon thread group; otherwise `false`.

Description

  This method determines whether or not this `ThreadGroup` is a daemon thread group, based on the value of daemon attribute of this `ThreadGroup` object. A daemon thread group is destroyed when the last `Thread` in it is stopped, or the last `ThreadGroup` in it is destroyed.

### isDestroyed

#### `public synchronized boolean isDestroyed()`

Availability

  New as of JDK 1.1

Returns

  `true` if this `ThreadGroup` has been destroyed; otherwise `false`.

Description

  This method determines whether or not this `ThreadGroup` has been destroyed.

### list

#### `public void list()`

Description

  This method outputs a listing of the contents of this `ThreadGroup` object to `System.out`.

### parentOf

#### `public final boolean parentOf(ThreadGroup g)`

Parameters

  `g`

    A `ThreadGroup` object.

Returns

  `true` if this `ThreadGroup` object is the same `ThreadGroup`, or a direct or indirect parent of the specified `ThreadGroup`; otherwise `false`.

Description

  This method determines if this `ThreadGroup` object is the same as the specified `ThreadGroup` or one of its ancestors in the thread-group hierarchy.

### resume

#### `public final void resume()`

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  This method resumes each `Thread` object that directly or indirectly belongs to this `ThreadGroup` object by calling its `resume()` method.

### setDaemon

#### `public final void setDaemon(boolean daemon)`

Parameters

  `daemon`

    The new value for this `ThreadGroup` object's daemon attribute.

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  This method sets the daemon attribute of this `ThreadGroup` object to the given value. A daemon thread group is destroyed when the last `Thread` in it is stopped, or the last `ThreadGroup` in it is destroyed.

### setMaxPriority

#### `public final void setMaxPriority(int pri)`

Parameters

  `pri`

    The new maximum priority for `Thread` objects that belong to this `ThreadGroup` object.

Description

  This method sets the maximum priority that can be assigned to `Thread` objects that belong to this `ThreadGroup` object.

  It is possible for a `ThreadGroup` to contain `Thread` objects that have higher priorities than this maximum, if they were given that higher priority before the maximum was set to a lower value.

### stop

#### `public final void stop()`

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  This method stops each `Thread` object that directly or indirectly belongs to this `ThreadGroup` object by calling its `stop()` method.

### suspend

#### `public final void suspend()`

Throws

  `SecurityException`

    If the `checkAccess()` method of the `SecurityManager` throws a `SecurityException`.

Description

  This method suspends each `Thread` object that directly or indirectly belongs to this `ThreadGroup` object by calling its `suspend()` method.

### toString

#### `public String toString()`

Returns

  A string representation of this `ThreadGroup` object.

Overrides

  `Object.toString()`

Description

  This method returns a string representation of this `ThreadGroup` object.

### uncaughtException

#### `public void uncaughtException(Thread t, Throwable e)`

Parameters

  `t`

    A reference to a `Thread` that just died because of an uncaught exception.

  `e`

    The uncaught exception.

Description

  This method is called when a `Thread` object that belongs to this `ThreadGroup` object dies because of an uncaught exception. If this `ThreadGroup` object has a parent `ThreadGroup` object, this method just calls the parent's `uncaughtException()` method. Otherwise, this method must determine whether the uncaught exception is an instance of `ThreadDeath`. If it is, nothing is done. If it is not, the method calls the `printStackTrace()` method of the exception object.

  If this method is overridden, the overriding method should end with a call to `super.uncaughtException()`.

## Inherited Methods

Method | Inherited From | Method | Inherited From
--- | --- | --- | ---
`clone()` | `Object` | `equals(Object)` | `Object`
`finalize()` | `Object` | `getClass()` | `Object`
`hashCode()` | `Object` | `notify()` | `Object`
`notifyAll()` | `Object` | `wait()` | `Object`
`wait(long)` | `Object` | `wait(long, int)` | `Object`

## See Also

`IllegalThreadStateException`, `Object`, `Runnable`, `SecurityException`, `SecurityManager`, `Thread`, `Throwable`

ThreadDeath |  | Throwable