What is the difference between synchronized and thread-safe in programming?

What is the difference between synchronized and thread-safe in programming?

Synchronized means that a method or block of code can only be accessed by one thread at a time. Thread-safe means that a class or method can be safely used by multiple threads simultaneously without causing data inconsistency.

Can you give an example of synchronized code?

Sure! Here's a simple example in Java:

public synchronized void increment() {
    count++;
}
``` This method ensures that only one thread can execute it at a time.

What about thread-safe collections?

Thread-safe collections, like ConcurrentHashMap in Java, allow multiple threads to read and write without explicit synchronization, ensuring data integrity.

When should I use synchronized methods over thread-safe collections?

Use synchronized methods when you need to control access to a specific resource. Use thread-safe collections for managing shared data structures with concurrent access.