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Locking in Java

Double-checked locking is a pattern used for lazy initialization of objects in a multithreaded environment. It aims to minimize overhead by checking a volatile variable before acquiring a lock. It works by first checking if the object exists, then acquiring a lock to create it if not, double checking inside the lock. When implemented correctly with volatile, it is thread-safe and ensures only one instance is created, but modern Java utilities provide safer alternatives.

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27 views

Locking in Java

Double-checked locking is a pattern used for lazy initialization of objects in a multithreaded environment. It aims to minimize overhead by checking a volatile variable before acquiring a lock. It works by first checking if the object exists, then acquiring a lock to create it if not, double checking inside the lock. When implemented correctly with volatile, it is thread-safe and ensures only one instance is created, but modern Java utilities provide safer alternatives.

Uploaded by

aashishduck
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Locking in java

Certainly! Double-Checked Locking is a programming pattern that is often used for lazy initialization of an
object in a multithreaded environment. Lazy initialization means that an object is only created when it is first
needed, rather than at the time the class is loaded. The double-checked locking idiom aims to minimize the
overhead of synchronization by checking a volatile variable before acquiring a lock.

Here's a breakdown of how Double-Checked Locking works:

### Basic Idea:

1. **Check:**
- Check if the object has already been created. If it has, return the existing instance.

2. **First Lock:**
- If the object hasn't been created, acquire a lock to ensure that only one thread can create the instance.

3. **Double Check:**
- Check the object again inside the synchronized block. This double check is necessary because another thread
might have acquired the lock and created the object while the current thread was waiting to enter the
synchronized block.

4. **Create Instance:**
- If the object still hasn't been created, create the instance.

5. **Release Lock:**
- Release the lock.

### Example in Java:

```java
public class LazySingleton {
private static volatile LazySingleton instance;

private LazySingleton() {
// private constructor to prevent instantiation
}
public static LazySingleton getInstance() {
if (instance == null) {
synchronized (LazySingleton.class) {
if (instance == null) {
instance = new LazySingleton();
}
}
}
return instance;
}
}
```

### Key Points:

1. **Use of `volatile`:**
- The `volatile` keyword is crucial in this pattern. Without it, the Java Memory Model allows for subtle
reorderings of operations, which could lead to a partially constructed instance being returned.

2. **Minimizing Lock Contention:**


- The first check outside the synchronized block is to minimize the overhead of synchronization. If the object
has already been created, there's no need to acquire a lock.

3. **Efficiency Considerations:**
- While Double-Checked Locking reduces contention compared to locking the entire method, it's important to
note that in modern Java versions (Java 5 and later), the use of `java.util.concurrent` utilities like
`ConcurrentHashMap` or `AtomicReference` often provides a more concise and safer way to achieve lazy
initialization without the complexities of Double-Checked Locking.

4. **Thread Safety:**
- When implemented correctly with `volatile`, Double-Checked Locking is thread-safe and ensures that only
one instance of the object is created.

However, with the advancements in Java concurrency utilities, consider using those instead of manually
implementing such patterns, as they are more robust and less error-prone. For example, `java.util.concurrent`
provides the `AtomicReference` class that can be used for safe lazy initialization.

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