What is the difference between livelock and deadlock in programming?

What is the difference between livelock and deadlock in programming?

Deadlock occurs when two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release resources. Livelock, on the other hand, happens when processes continuously change states in response to each other without making progress.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! In a deadlock, imagine two threads each holding a resource the other needs. They wait indefinitely. In a livelock, two threads might keep changing their states to avoid each other, but neither makes progress.

How can I prevent deadlocks in my code?

You can prevent deadlocks by using techniques like resource ordering, timeout mechanisms, or implementing a deadlock detection algorithm.

What tools can help me detect livelocks?

Tools like profilers and debuggers can help you analyze thread states and identify livelocks by showing you where threads are stuck in a loop.