Multithreaded access to file

Question

We have a multi threaded java program. Multiple-threads will write to a file, and one thread will read from that file. I am looking for some design ideas. Is synchronization

Answer 1

I would consider synchronization in this case. Imagine that 2 threads (t1 and t2) open the file at the same time and start writing to it. The changes performed by the first thread are overwrited by the second thread because the second thread is the last to save the changes to the file. When a thread t1 is writing to the file, t2 must wait until t1 finishes it's task before it can open it.

Also, if you care about the latest possible update of the file, you should synchronize the writing threads with the thread that reads the file so that if there's any thread writing the the file, the reading thread should wait.