Multithreaded server crashes

[skarosg3]

Hi all,
this is my first post, so some greetings are in place:)

I am working on a project, that involves a client server and a separate db connection.

I am still at the begining, but i am stuck at a problem that cant figure it out.
I want to have a client/server connection in order to sent a txt file to the client. I figured to go for multi-threaded server just to be on the safe side.
The threading part actually works, but whenever i open the port and the server starts listening to the port, the rest of the program just crashes! i cant do anything on it. Thats not exactly what i wanted. this is my code: (part of it)
the function from the server

 private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
     Socket clientSocket = null;
     ServerSocket serverSocket = null;

    clientThread t[] = new clientThread[10];
        int port_number=2222;
	System.out.println("Usage: java MultiThread \n"+
				   "Now using port number="+port_number);
        try {
	    serverSocket = new ServerSocket(port_number);
        }
        catch (IOException e)
	    {System.out.println(e);}
        while(true){
	    try {
		clientSocket = serverSocket.accept();
		for(int i=0; i<=9; i++){
		    if(t[i]==null)
			{
			    (t[i] = new clientThread(clientSocket,t)).start();
			    break;
			}
		}
	    }
	    catch (IOException e) {
		System.out.println(e);}
	}

    }

and the threaded class

import java.io.*;
import java.net.*;
/**
 *
 * @author ilias
 */
class clientThread extends Thread{

    DataInputStream is = null;
    PrintStream os = null;
    Socket clientSocket = null;
    clientThread t[];

    public clientThread(Socket clientSocket, clientThread[] t){
	this.clientSocket=clientSocket;
        this.t=t;
    }

    public void run()
    {
	String line;
        String name;
	try{
	    os = new PrintStream(clientSocket.getOutputStream());
	    os.println("Enter your name.");

	    os.close();
	    clientSocket.close();
	}
	catch(IOException e){};
    }
}

For now i am just sending a string over, just to make sure that it is working.

any idea how i can make the server to be functioning while running this thread?
thanks a lot
ilias

ps. I am working on Netbeans, if that makes any difference

[mrmatt1111]

It looks like have button that in your GUI that you press to start your server (listen for connections)... you have a blocking infinite loop there so you never give back control to your GUI and thus you lock your application.

You need to create a separate thread for your connection listener that you start when you press the button instead of using the GUI's thread.

[skarosg3]

So the thread should start at the press of the button. that makes sense. In the button action method i should call a "threaded" method.
will give it a try.
thanks

[skarosg3]

Could you help me a bit more. I havent used threads since college (8 years now) and i cant find something helpful on the web.

I quickly changed my code to this:

   private void jButton1ActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {                                         
       new ThreadedServer().run();
    }

and

public ThreadedServer(){

     }

     public void run(){
     Socket clientSocket = null;
     ServerSocket serverSocket = null;
    clientThread t[] = new clientThread[10];
        int port_number=2222;
	System.out.println("Usage: java MultiThreadChatServer \n"+
				   "Now using port number="+port_number);
        try {
	    serverSocket = new ServerSocket(port_number);
        }
        catch (IOException e)
	    {System.out.println(e);}



        while(true){
	    try {
		clientSocket = serverSocket.accept();
		for(int i=0; i<=9; i++){
		    if(t[i]==null)
			{
			    (t[i] = new clientThread(clientSocket,t)).start();
			    break;
			}
		}
	    }
	    catch (IOException e) {
		System.out.println(e);}
	}
     }

which in its turns calls the method i mentioned b4. I still get the same problem. The thread is been activated when the run method is called. right? so by calling it inside the buttonAction method, should allow the main program to run.

thanks for any help you might have

[JosAH]

The thread is been activated when the run method is called. right?

Nope, a new Thread is activated when you call its start() method. The new Thread will call the run method (preferable from a Runnable object you passed in when you constructed your Thread) itself and the Thread is running from that point on; so don't call the Thread's run() method yourself, it won't start the Thread, it simply runs the code in your current Thread.

kind regards,

Jos

[skarosg3]

Ok, i am more confused now. I really cant remember all those stuff from college!
how should i implement this in order to work then?

[JosAH]

Ok, i am more confused now. I really cant remember all those stuff from college!
how should i implement this in order to work then?

Find and bookmark the API documentation; it's all in there. You define your Runnable (it's an implementation of the Runnable interface) and create a Thread object with it. Once you start() your Thread, it does a bit of bookkeeping and calls the run() method on your Runnable implementation in another thread..

kind regards,

Jos

[skarosg3]

Got it, thanks man!
I am not sure if it is the best way to go, but it is working. When i am done, i might have a look to improve.
cheers