Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Sample output from this program follows:
Ask the Expert
Q
:
Why does Java have two ways to create child threads (by extending
Thread
or
implementing
Runnable
) and which approach is better?
A
:
The
Thread
class defines several methods that can be overridden by a derived class.
Of these methods, the only one that must be overridden is
run( )
. This is, of course,
the same method required when you implement
Runnable
. Some Java programmers
feel that classes should be extended only when they are being enhanced or modified
in some way. So, if you will not be overriding any of
Thread
's other methods, it is
probably best to simply implement
Runnable
. Also, by implementing
Runnable
,
you enable your thread to inherit a class other than
Thread
.
