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Java > Open Source Codes > foxtrot > WorkerThread


1 /**
2  * Copyright (c) 2002-2005, Simone Bordet
3  * All rights reserved.
4  *
5  * This software is distributable under the BSD license.
6  * See the terms of the BSD license in the documentation provided with this software.
7  */
8
9 package foxtrot;
10
11 /**
12  * Implementations of this interface run
13  * {@link Task}s in a thread that is not the Event Dispatch Thread. <br />
14  * Implementations should extend {@link AbstractWorkerThread}.
15  * @version $Revision: 1.8 $
16  */
17 public interface WorkerThread
18 {
19    /**
20     * Starts this WorkerThread, responsible for running {@link Task}s (not in the
21     * Event Dispatch Thread).
22     * Applets can stop threads used by implementations of this WorkerThread in any moment,
23     * and this method also can be used to restart this WorkerThread
24     * if it results that it is not alive anymore.
25     * @see #isAlive
26     */
27    public void start();
28
29    /**
30     * Returns whether this WorkerThread is alive. It is not enough to return
31     * whether this WorkerThread has been started, because Applets can stop threads
32     * used by implementations of this WorkerThread in any moment.
33     * If this WorkerThread is not alive, it must be restarted.
34     * @see #start
35     */
36    public boolean isAlive();
37
38    /**
39     * Returns whether the current thread is a thread used by the implementation of
40     * this WorkerThread to run {@link Task}s.
41     */
42    public boolean isWorkerThread();
43
44    /**
45     * Posts a Task to be run by this WorkerThread in a thread that is not the
46     * Event Dispatch Thread. This method must be called from the
47     * Event Dispatch Thread and should return immediately.
48     * Implementations should check if this WorkerThread {@link #isAlive} to guarantee
49     * that the posted Task will be executed by this WorkerThread.
50     * @see #runTask
51     */
52    public void postTask(Task task);
53
54    /**
55     * Runs the given Task. This method must be called by a thread that is not the
56     * Event Dispatch Thread, and must execute the task in the same thread of the
57     * caller, synchronously.
58     * @see #postTask
59     */
60    public void runTask(Task task);
61 }
62
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