What are thread pools and how do they work?

What are thread pools and how do they work?

Thread pools are a collection of pre-initialized threads that can be reused for executing tasks, improving performance.

Why should I use a thread pool instead of creating new threads for each task?

Using a thread pool reduces the overhead of thread creation and destruction, leading to better resource management.

Can you give me an example of how to implement a thread pool in Java?

Sure! In Java, you can use the ExecutorService interface to create a thread pool. Here's a simple example:

ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(5);
executor.submit(() -> {
    // Task code here
});
executor.shutdown();

What are the potential downsides of using thread pools?

Some downsides include potential thread contention, resource exhaustion if too many tasks are submitted, and complexity in managing task states.