When a task invokes its yield() method, it returns to the ready state. When a task invokes its sleep()method, it returns to the waiting state.
In the context of multithreading in Java, yielding and sleeping are two different mechanisms used to manage thread execution. Here are the key differences between yielding and sleeping:
- Yielding:
- Purpose: The
yield()method is a hint to the scheduler that the current thread is willing to yield its current use of a processor. - Effect: When a thread calls
yield(), it relinquishes the current thread’s time slice and allows other threads of the same priority to execute. If there are no other threads of the same priority, the same thread continues its execution. - Control: The decision to honor the
yield()call is up to the thread scheduler, and it may or may not switch to another thread.
- Purpose: The
java
Thread.yield();
- Sleeping:
- Purpose: The
sleep()method is used to pause the execution of a thread for a specified amount of time. - Effect: When a thread calls
sleep(), it goes into a timed waiting state, and it does not consume CPU resources during this time. After the specified time elapses, the thread moves back to the runnable state and competes for CPU time. - Control: The duration of sleep is explicitly specified by the programmer.
- Purpose: The
java
Thread.sleep(milliseconds);
In summary, yield() is a way to give up the remainder of the thread’s current time slice to allow other threads to run, while sleep() is a way to pause the execution of a thread for a specified period. yield() is more of a cooperative mechanism, while sleep() is a mechanism for introducing delays.