What is the lifecycle of a thread

The lifecycle of a thread in programming typically involves several stages, which help manage its execution from creation to termination. Understanding these stages is crucial for developers to optimize performance and manage resources effectively.

  • New: The thread is created but not yet started.
  • Runnable: The thread is ready to run and waiting for CPU time.
  • Blocked: The thread is blocked and waiting for a resource or another thread to complete its task.
  • Waiting: The thread is in a waiting state, waiting for another thread to perform a specific action.
  • Timed Waiting: Similar to waiting, but it will wait for a specified amount of time before it can return to the runnable state.
  • Terminated: The thread has completed its execution or has been terminated prematurely.

These states help in efficiently managing threads, ensuring that resource usage is optimal and that tasks are completed in a timely manner.


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