What are the benefits and drawbacks of using runnable interface over running thread?

2 Thread class

The thread class is a concrete class that represents a thread of execution in Java. To use it, you need to extend this class and override the run method, which contains the logic of the thread. Then, you can create an instance of your subclass and call the start method to launch the thread. The main benefit of using the thread class is that it gives you more control over the thread's behavior and properties, such as its name, priority, state, and exception handling. Moreover, it allows you to use some methods that are not available in the runnable interface, such as join, interrupt, sleep, and yield.

3 Drawbacks of runnable interface

Although the runnable interface is a simple and flexible way to create threads, it also has some drawbacks that you need to consider. One of them is that you cannot directly access the thread's methods and attributes from the runnable object, which means that you need to keep a reference to the thread or use the static Thread.currentThread() method to manipulate the thread. Another drawback is that you cannot return a value or throw a checked exception from the run method, which limits the communication and error handling between the threads. Finally, using the runnable interface can make your code less readable and maintainable if you use too many nested or anonymous classes or lambda expressions.

4 Drawbacks of thread class

Similarly, the thread class also has some drawbacks that you need to consider. One of them is that it violates the principle of inheritance over composition, which means that your class cannot extend another class and can only implement one interface. This can reduce the reusability and modularity of your code and create conflicts with other classes. Another drawback is that it creates a new thread object for each task, which can consume more memory and resources than sharing a runnable object. Finally, using the thread class can make your code less consistent and compatible if you mix it with other ways of creating threads, such as executors, futures, or callables.

5 Choosing the best option

When deciding between the runnable interface and the thread class, it depends on your specific requirements, preferences, and design goals. Generally, you should use the runnable interface if you want to separate the logic of the thread from its execution and share the same task among multiple threads. The thread class is preferable if you want to customize behavior and properties of the thread, access its methods and attributes directly, and create a new thread for each task. There are other alternatives for creating and managing threads in Java, such as executors, futures, callables, and parallel streams. You can explore these options to find the best solution for your multithreading needs.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?