Java.util.Concurrent, Part 2 - Conditions

In the Java 5 and newer API, Conditions are Object designed to replace the simple wait and notify tasks in the earlier API. You get a Condition object, by calling the NewCondition method on any lock, you can make as many Conditions as you like on one lock. You can make a thread wait on the Condition one of 5 ways.

void	await()	Until a Signal or Interrupted
boolean	await(long, TimeUnit unit)	For a set time, or a Signal or Interrupted, returns true if woken by Signal or Interrupt
long	awaitNanos()	Wait a time in Nanoseconds, return how much waiting time was left, if signalled
void	awaitUniterruptable()	Only a Signal will awake this method
boolean	awaitUntil(Date deadline)	Waits until deadline or signalled, return true if signalled

All these methods, release the lock the condition was make from, where waiting. One
of to method might be used to singal the waiting condition.

void	signal()	Signal to wake one waiting condition
void	signalAll()	Signal to wake all waiting conditions

In a queue example, we would want to wake up only one waiting thread. But if a major tasked finished, we might wan't to wake up a the waiting threads.