Class RecursiveAction

java.lang.Object
java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask<Void>
java.util.concurrent.RecursiveAction
All Implemented Interfaces:
Serializable, Future<Void>

public abstract class RecursiveAction extends ForkJoinTask<Void>
A recursive resultless ForkJoinTask. This class establishes conventions to parameterize resultless actions as Void ForkJoinTasks. Because null is the only valid value of type Void, methods such as join always return null upon completion.

Sample Usages. Here is a simple but complete ForkJoin sort that sorts a given long[] array:

static class SortTask extends RecursiveAction {
  final long[] array; final int lo, hi;
  SortTask(long[] array, int lo, int hi) {
    this.array = array; this.lo = lo; this.hi = hi;
  }
  SortTask(long[] array) { this(array, 0, array.length); }
  protected void compute() {
    if (hi - lo < THRESHOLD)
      sortSequentially(lo, hi);
    else {
      int mid = (lo + hi) >>> 1;
      invokeAll(new SortTask(array, lo, mid),
                new SortTask(array, mid, hi));
      merge(lo, mid, hi);
    }
  }
  // implementation details follow:
  static final int THRESHOLD = 1000;
  void sortSequentially(int lo, int hi) {
    Arrays.sort(array, lo, hi);
  }
  void merge(int lo, int mid, int hi) {
    long[] buf = Arrays.copyOfRange(array, lo, mid);
    for (int i = 0, j = lo, k = mid; i < buf.length; j++)
      array[j] = (k == hi || buf[i] < array[k]) ?
        buf[i++] : array[k++];
  }
}
You could then sort anArray by creating new SortTask(anArray) and invoking it in a ForkJoinPool. As a more concrete simple example, the following task increments each element of an array:
class IncrementTask extends RecursiveAction {
  final long[] array; final int lo, hi;
  IncrementTask(long[] array, int lo, int hi) {
    this.array = array; this.lo = lo; this.hi = hi;
  }
  protected void compute() {
    if (hi - lo < THRESHOLD) {
      for (int i = lo; i < hi; ++i)
        array[i]++;
    }
    else {
      int mid = (lo + hi) >>> 1;
      invokeAll(new IncrementTask(array, lo, mid),
                new IncrementTask(array, mid, hi));
    }
  }
}

The following example illustrates some refinements and idioms that may lead to better performance: RecursiveActions need not be fully recursive, so long as they maintain the basic divide-and-conquer approach. Here is a class that sums the squares of each element of a double array, by subdividing out only the right-hand-sides of repeated divisions by two, and keeping track of them with a chain of next references. It uses a dynamic threshold based on method getSurplusQueuedTaskCount, but counterbalances potential excess partitioning by directly performing leaf actions on unstolen tasks rather than further subdividing.

double sumOfSquares(ForkJoinPool pool, double[] array) {
  int n = array.length;
  Applyer a = new Applyer(array, 0, n, null);
  pool.invoke(a);
  return a.result;
}

class Applyer extends RecursiveAction {
  final double[] array;
  final int lo, hi;
  double result;
  Applyer next; // keeps track of right-hand-side tasks
  Applyer(double[] array, int lo, int hi, Applyer next) {
    this.array = array; this.lo = lo; this.hi = hi;
    this.next = next;
  }

  double atLeaf(int l, int h) {
    double sum = 0;
    for (int i = l; i < h; ++i) // perform leftmost base step
      sum += array[i] * array[i];
    return sum;
  }

  protected void compute() {
    int l = lo;
    int h = hi;
    Applyer right = null;
    while (h - l > 1 && getSurplusQueuedTaskCount() <= 3) {
      int mid = (l + h) >>> 1;
      right = new Applyer(array, mid, h, right);
      right.fork();
      h = mid;
    }
    double sum = atLeaf(l, h);
    while (right != null) {
      if (right.tryUnfork()) // directly calculate if not stolen
        sum += right.atLeaf(right.lo, right.hi);
      else {
        right.join();
        sum += right.result;
      }
      right = right.next;
    }
    result = sum;
  }
}
Since:
1.7
See Also:
  • Nested Class Summary

    Nested classes/interfaces declared in interface Future

    Future.State
    Modifier and Type
    Interface
    Description
    static enum 
    Represents the computation state.
  • Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor
    Description
    Constructor for subclasses to call.
  • Method Summary

    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    protected abstract void
    The main computation performed by this task.
    protected final boolean
    Implements execution conventions for RecursiveActions.
    final Void
    Always returns null.
    protected final void
    setRawResult(Void mustBeNull)
    Requires null completion value.

    Methods declared in class ForkJoinTask

    adapt, adapt, adapt, adaptInterruptible, adaptInterruptible, adaptInterruptible, cancel, compareAndSetForkJoinTaskTag, complete, completeExceptionally, exceptionNow, fork, get, get, getException, getForkJoinTaskTag, getPool, getQueuedTaskCount, getSurplusQueuedTaskCount, helpQuiesce, inForkJoinPool, invoke, invokeAll, invokeAll, invokeAll, isCancelled, isCompletedAbnormally, isCompletedNormally, isDone, join, peekNextLocalTask, pollNextLocalTask, pollSubmission, pollTask, quietlyComplete, quietlyInvoke, quietlyJoin, quietlyJoin, quietlyJoinUninterruptibly, reinitialize, resultNow, setForkJoinTaskTag, state, tryUnfork
    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    static ForkJoinTask<?>
    adapt(Runnable runnable)
    Returns a new ForkJoinTask that performs the run method of the given Runnable as its action, and returns a null result upon ForkJoinTask.join().
    static <T> ForkJoinTask<T>
    adapt(Runnable runnable, T result)
    Returns a new ForkJoinTask that performs the run method of the given Runnable as its action, and returns the given result upon ForkJoinTask.join().
    static <T> ForkJoinTask<T>
    adapt(Callable<? extends T> callable)
    Returns a new ForkJoinTask that performs the call method of the given Callable as its action, and returns its result upon ForkJoinTask.join(), translating any checked exceptions encountered into RuntimeException.
    static ForkJoinTask<?>
    Returns a new ForkJoinTask that performs the run method of the given Runnable as its action, and returns null upon ForkJoinTask.join(), translating any checked exceptions encountered into RuntimeException.
    static <T> ForkJoinTask<T>
    adaptInterruptible(Runnable runnable, T result)
    Returns a new ForkJoinTask that performs the run method of the given Runnable as its action, and returns the given result upon ForkJoinTask.join(), translating any checked exceptions encountered into RuntimeException.
    static <T> ForkJoinTask<T>
    adaptInterruptible(Callable<? extends T> callable)
    Returns a new ForkJoinTask that performs the call method of the given Callable as its action, and returns its result upon ForkJoinTask.join(), translating any checked exceptions encountered into RuntimeException.
    boolean
    cancel(boolean mayInterruptIfRunning)
    Attempts to cancel execution of this task.
    final boolean
    compareAndSetForkJoinTaskTag(short expect, short update)
    Atomically conditionally sets the tag value for this task.
    void
    complete(Void value)
    Completes this task, and if not already aborted or cancelled, returning the given value as the result of subsequent invocations of join and related operations.
    void
    Completes this task abnormally, and if not already aborted or cancelled, causes it to throw the given exception upon join and related operations.
    Returns the exception thrown by the task, without waiting.
    Arranges to asynchronously execute this task in the pool the current task is running in, if applicable, or using the ForkJoinPool.commonPool() if not ForkJoinTask.inForkJoinPool().
    final Void
    get()
    Waits if necessary for the computation to complete, and then retrieves its result.
    final Void
    get(long timeout, TimeUnit unit)
    Waits if necessary for at most the given time for the computation to complete, and then retrieves its result, if available.
    final Throwable
    Returns the exception thrown by the base computation, or a CancellationException if cancelled, or null if none or if the method has not yet completed.
    final short
    Returns the tag for this task.
    Returns the pool hosting the current thread, or null if the current thread is executing outside of any ForkJoinPool.
    static int
    Returns an estimate of the number of tasks that have been forked by the current worker thread but not yet executed.
    static int
    Returns an estimate of how many more locally queued tasks are held by the current worker thread than there are other worker threads that might steal them, or zero if this thread is not operating in a ForkJoinPool.
    static void
    Possibly executes tasks until the pool hosting the current task is quiescent.
    static boolean
    Returns true if the current thread is a ForkJoinWorkerThread executing as a ForkJoinPool computation.
    final Void
    Commences performing this task, awaits its completion if necessary, and returns its result, or throws an (unchecked) RuntimeException or Error if the underlying computation did so.
    static <T extends ForkJoinTask<?>>
    Collection<T>
    Forks all tasks in the specified collection, returning when isDone holds for each task or an (unchecked) exception is encountered, in which case the exception is rethrown.
    static void
    invokeAll(ForkJoinTask<?>... tasks)
    Forks the given tasks, returning when isDone holds for each task or an (unchecked) exception is encountered, in which case the exception is rethrown.
    static void
    Forks the given tasks, returning when isDone holds for each task or an (unchecked) exception is encountered, in which case the exception is rethrown.
    final boolean
    Returns true if this task was cancelled before it completed normally.
    final boolean
    Returns true if this task threw an exception or was cancelled.
    final boolean
    Returns true if this task completed without throwing an exception and was not cancelled.
    final boolean
    Returns true if this task completed.
    final Void
    Returns the result of the computation when it is done.
    protected static ForkJoinTask<?>
    Returns, but does not unschedule or execute, a task queued by the current thread but not yet executed, if one is immediately available.
    protected static ForkJoinTask<?>
    Unschedules and returns, without executing, the next task queued by the current thread but not yet executed, if the current thread is operating in a ForkJoinPool.
    protected static ForkJoinTask<?>
    If the current thread is operating in a ForkJoinPool, unschedules and returns, without executing, a task externally submitted to the pool, if one is available.
    protected static ForkJoinTask<?>
    If the current thread is operating in a ForkJoinPool, unschedules and returns, without executing, the next task queued by the current thread but not yet executed, if one is available, or if not available, a task that was forked by some other thread, if available.
    final void
    Completes this task normally without setting a value.
    final void
    Commences performing this task and awaits its completion if necessary, without returning its result or throwing its exception.
    final void
    Joins this task, without returning its result or throwing its exception.
    final boolean
    quietlyJoin(long timeout, TimeUnit unit)
    Tries to join this task, returning true if it completed (possibly exceptionally) before the given timeout elapsed and the current thread has not been interrupted.
    final boolean
    quietlyJoinUninterruptibly(long timeout, TimeUnit unit)
    Tries to join this task, returning true if it completed (possibly exceptionally) before the given timeout elapsed.
    void
    Resets the internal bookkeeping state of this task, allowing a subsequent fork.
    Returns the computed result, without waiting.
    final short
    setForkJoinTaskTag(short newValue)
    Atomically sets the tag value for this task and returns the old value.
    Returns the computation state.
    boolean
    Tries to unschedule this task for execution.

    Methods declared in class Object

    clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
    Modifier and Type
    Method
    Description
    protected Object
    Creates and returns a copy of this object.
    boolean
    Indicates whether some other object is "equal to" this one.
    protected void
    Deprecated, for removal: This API element is subject to removal in a future version.
    Finalization is deprecated and subject to removal in a future release.
    final Class<?>
    Returns the runtime class of this Object.
    int
    Returns a hash code value for this object.
    final void
    Wakes up a single thread that is waiting on this object's monitor.
    final void
    Wakes up all threads that are waiting on this object's monitor.
    Returns a string representation of the object.
    final void
    Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted.
    final void
    wait(long timeoutMillis)
    Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted, or until a certain amount of real time has elapsed.
    final void
    wait(long timeoutMillis, int nanos)
    Causes the current thread to wait until it is awakened, typically by being notified or interrupted, or until a certain amount of real time has elapsed.
  • Constructor Details

    • RecursiveAction

      public RecursiveAction()
      Constructor for subclasses to call.
  • Method Details

    • compute

      protected abstract void compute()
      The main computation performed by this task.
    • getRawResult

      public final Void getRawResult()
      Always returns null.
      Specified by:
      getRawResult in class ForkJoinTask<Void>
      Returns:
      null always
    • setRawResult

      protected final void setRawResult(Void mustBeNull)
      Requires null completion value.
      Specified by:
      setRawResult in class ForkJoinTask<Void>
      Parameters:
      mustBeNull - the value
    • exec

      protected final boolean exec()
      Implements execution conventions for RecursiveActions.
      Specified by:
      exec in class ForkJoinTask<Void>
      Returns:
      true if this task is known to have completed normally