What are the differences between atomic variables and synchronized methods?

What are the differences between atomic variables and synchronized methods?

Atomic variables are designed for thread-safe operations without locking, while synchronized methods use locks to control access.

Can you give an example of when to use atomic variables?

Sure! Use atomic variables when you need to update a counter in a multi-threaded environment without performance overhead from locking.

What are the performance implications of using synchronized methods?

Synchronized methods can lead to thread contention, which may slow down performance, especially if many threads are trying to access the same method.

Are there any scenarios where synchronized methods are preferred?

Yes, synchronized methods are preferred when you need to ensure that a block of code is executed by only one thread at a time, especially for complex operations.

How do atomic variables handle multiple threads?

Atomic variables use low-level atomic operations to ensure that updates are visible to all threads without the need for explicit locking.