Java.util.concurrent.Phaser class in Java with Examples

Last Updated : 19 Feb, 2021

Phaser’s primary purpose is to enable synchronization of threads that represent one or more phases of activity. It lets us define a synchronization object that waits until a specific phase has been completed. It then advances to the next phase until that phase concludes. It can also be used to synchronize a single phase, and in that regard, it acts much like a CyclicBarrier.

Class Hierarchy

java.lang.Object
  ? java.util.concurrent
    ? Class Phaser

Syntax

public class Phaser
  extends Object

Constructors:

Phaser() – This creates a phaser with initially zero registered parties. A thread can only use this phaser after registering for it.

public Phaser()

Phaser(int parties) – This creates a phaser that requires parties number of threads to advance to the next phase.

public Phaser(int parties)
throws IllegalArgumentException

Phaser(Phaser parent) – This specifies a parent phaser for the new object. The number of registered parties is set to zero.

public Phaser(Phaser parent)

Phaser(Phaser parent, int parties) – This specifies a parent phaser for the newly created object and the number of parties required to advance to the next phase.

public Phaser(Phaser parent, int parties)
throws IllegalArgumentException

Example1:

Note: Output may vary with each run.

Java

// Java program to show Phaser Class
 
import java.util.concurrent.Phaser;
 
// A thread of execution that uses a phaser.
class MyThread implements Runnable {
    Phaser phaser;
    String title;
 
    public MyThread(Phaser phaser, String title)
    {
        this.phaser = phaser;
        this.title = title;
 
        phaser.register();
        new Thread(this).start();
    }
 
    @Override public void run()
    {
        System.out.println("Thread: " + title
                           + " Phase Zero Started");
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
 
        // Stop execution to prevent jumbled output
        try {
            Thread.sleep(10);
        }
        catch (InterruptedException e) {
            System.out.println(e);
        }
 
        System.out.println("Thread: " + title
                           + " Phase One Started");
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
 
        // Stop execution to prevent jumbled output
        try {
            Thread.sleep(10);
        }
        catch (InterruptedException e) {
            System.out.println(e);
        }
 
        System.out.println("Thread: " + title
                           + " Phase Two Started");
        phaser.arriveAndDeregister();
    }
}
 
public class PhaserExample {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Phaser phaser = new Phaser();
        phaser.register();
        int currentPhase;
 
        System.out.println("Starting");
 
        new MyThread(phaser, "A");
        new MyThread(phaser, "B");
        new MyThread(phaser, "C");
 
        // Wait for all threads to complete phase Zero.
        currentPhase = phaser.getPhase();
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        System.out.println("Phase " + currentPhase
                           + " Complete");
        System.out.println("Phase Zero Ended");
 
        // Wait for all threads to complete phase One.
        currentPhase = phaser.getPhase();
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        System.out.println("Phase " + currentPhase
                           + " Complete");
        System.out.println("Phase One Ended");
 
        currentPhase = phaser.getPhase();
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        System.out.println("Phase " + currentPhase
                           + " Complete");
        System.out.println("Phase Two Ended");
 
        // Deregister the main thread.
        phaser.arriveAndDeregister();
        if (phaser.isTerminated()) {
            System.out.println("Phaser is terminated");
        }
    }
}

Output

Starting
Thread: B Phase Zero Started
Thread: A Phase Zero Started
Thread: C Phase Zero Started
Thread: A Phase One Started
Thread: B Phase One Started
Thread: C Phase One Started
Phase 0 Complete
Phase Zero Ended
Phase 1 Complete
Phase One Ended
Thread: C Phase Two Started
Thread: A Phase Two Started
Thread: B Phase Two Started
Phase 2 Complete
Phase Two Ended
Phaser is terminated

Example2:

Java

// Java program to show Phaser Class
 
import java.util.concurrent.Phaser;
 
// A thread of execution that uses a phaser.
class MyThread implements Runnable {
    Phaser phaser;
    String title;
 
    public MyThread(Phaser phaser, String title)
    {
        this.phaser = phaser;
        this.title = title;
 
        phaser.register();
        new Thread(this).start();
    }
 
    @Override public void run()
    {
        System.out.println("Thread: " + title
                           + " Phase Zero Started");
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
 
        // Stop execution to prevent jumbled output
        try {
            Thread.sleep(10);
        }
        catch (InterruptedException e) {
            System.out.println(e);
        }
 
        System.out.println("Thread: " + title
                           + " Phase One Started");
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
 
        // Stop execution to prevent jumbled output
        try {
            Thread.sleep(10);
        }
        catch (InterruptedException e) {
            System.out.println(e);
        }
 
        System.out.println("Thread: " + title
                           + " Phase Two Started");
        phaser.arriveAndDeregister();
    }
}
 
public class PhaserExample {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        Phaser phaser = new Phaser();
        phaser.register();
        int currentPhase;
 
        System.out.println("Starting");
 
        new MyThread(phaser, "A");
        new MyThread(phaser, "B");
        new MyThread(phaser, "C");
 
        // Wait for all threads to complete phase Zero.
        currentPhase = phaser.getPhase();
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        System.out.println("Phase " + currentPhase
                           + " Complete");
        System.out.println("Phase Zero Ended");
 
        // Wait for all threads to complete phase One.
        currentPhase = phaser.getPhase();
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        System.out.println("Phase " + currentPhase
                           + " Complete");
        System.out.println("Phase One Ended");
 
        currentPhase = phaser.getPhase();
        phaser.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        System.out.println("Phase " + currentPhase
                           + " Complete");
        System.out.println("Phase Two Ended");
 
        // Deregister the main thread.
        phaser.arriveAndDeregister();
        if (phaser.isTerminated()) {
            System.out.println("Phaser is terminated");
        }
    }
}

Output

Starting
Thread: C Phase Zero Started
Thread: A Phase Zero Started
Thread: B Phase Zero Started
Thread: B Phase One Started
Thread: C Phase One Started
Thread: A Phase One Started
Phase 0 Complete
Phase Zero Ended
Phase 1 Complete
Phase One Ended
Thread: A Phase Two Started
Thread: C Phase Two Started
Thread: B Phase Two Started
Phase 2 Complete
Phase Two Ended
Phaser is terminated

Methods:

int register() – This method is used to register parties after a phaser has been constructed. It returns the phase number of the phase to which it is registered.

public int register()
throws IllegalArgumentException

int arrive() – This method signals that a thread has completed some portion of the task. It does not suspend the execution of the calling thread. It returns the current phase number or a negative value if the phaser has been terminated.

public int arrive()
throws IllegalStateException

int arriveAndDeregister() – This method enables a thread to arrive at a phase and deregister itself, without waiting for other threads to arrive. It returns the current phase number or a negative value if the phaser has been terminated.

public int arriveAndDeregister()
throws IllegalStateException

int arriveAndAwaitAdvance() – This method suspends the execution of the thread at a phase, to wait for other threads. It returns the current phase number or a negative value if the phaser has been terminated.

public int arriveAndAwaitAdvance()
throws IllegalStateException

final int getPhase() – This method returns the current phase number. A negative value is returned if the invoking phasers terminated.

public final int getPhase()

boolean onAdvance(int phase, int parties) – This method helps in defining how a phase advancement should occur. To do this, the user must override this method. To terminate the phaser, onAdvance() method returns true, otherwise, it returns false;

protected boolean onAdvance(int phase, int parties)

Example to demonstrate the methods of Phaser class – where the method is overridden so that the phaser executes only a specified number of phases.

Java

// Java program to demonstrate
// the methods of Phaser class
 
import java.util.concurrent.Phaser;
 
// Extend MyPhaser and override onAdvance()
// so that only specific number of phases
// are executed
class MyPhaser extends Phaser {
    int numPhases;
    MyPhaser(int parties, int phaseCount)
    {
        super(parties);
        numPhases = phaseCount - 1;
    }
 
    @Override
    protected boolean onAdvance(int phase,
                                int registeredParties)
    {
        System.out.println("Phase " + phase
                           + " completed.\n");
 
        // If all phases have completed, return true.
        if (phase == numPhases || registeredParties == 0) {
            return true;
        }
 
        // otherwise, return false
        return false;
    }
}
 
// A thread of execution that uses a phaser
class ModifiedThread implements Runnable {
    Phaser phsr;
    String name;
 
    ModifiedThread(Phaser p, String n)
    {
        phsr = p;
        name = n;
        phsr.register();
        new Thread(this).start();
    }
 
    @Override public void run()
    {
        while (!phsr.isTerminated()) {
            System.out.println("Thread " + name
                               + " Beginning Phase "
                               + phsr.getPhase());
            phsr.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
 
            try {
                Thread.sleep(10);
            }
            catch (InterruptedException e) {
                System.out.println(e);
            }
        }
    }
}
 
public class PhaserExample2 {
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        MyPhaser phsr = new MyPhaser(1, 4);
        System.out.println("Starting");
 
        new ModifiedThread(phsr, "A");
        new ModifiedThread(phsr, "B");
        new ModifiedThread(phsr, "C");
 
        while (!phsr.isTerminated()) {
            phsr.arriveAndAwaitAdvance();
        }
        System.out.println("The phaser is terminated\n");
    }
}

Output

Starting
Thread B Beginning Phase 0
Thread C Beginning Phase 0
Thread A Beginning Phase 0
Phase 0 completed.

Thread A Beginning Phase 1
Thread B Beginning Phase 1
Thread C Beginning Phase 1
Phase 1 completed.

Thread C Beginning Phase 2
Thread A Beginning Phase 2
Thread B Beginning Phase 2
Phase 2 completed.

Thread A Beginning Phase 3
Thread B Beginning Phase 3
Thread C Beginning Phase 3
Phase 3 completed.

The phaser is terminated

Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/9/docs/api/java/util/concurrent/Phaser.html