What is the difference between synchronized and atomic classes?

What is the difference between synchronized and atomic classes in Java?

Synchronized classes use locks to control access to a method or block, while atomic classes provide lock-free thread-safe operations.

Can you give an example of when to use synchronized classes?

Use synchronized classes when you need to ensure that only one thread can access a method at a time, like updating shared resources.

What about atomic classes? When should I use them?

Atomic classes are ideal for simple operations on shared variables, like counters, where you want to avoid the overhead of locking.

Are there performance differences between the two?

Yes, atomic classes generally offer better performance for simple operations due to reduced locking overhead, while synchronized classes can be slower due to the locking mechanism.