Micro Java™ Game Development

Chapter 12. Multithreaded Game Programming

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Threads

• Extending the Thread Object

• Implementing the Runnable Interface

• Thread Priorities

• Thread States

• Synchronizations and Deadlocks

• wait() and notify()

• Timers

• Making Threads Better

When games are running on a mobile device, many different pieces of code must be executed simultaneously. This includes actions such as checking the keyboard, moving the sprites, detecting sprite collision, planning the game's artificial intelligence, and of course, repainting. If a developer has to put all those tasks into a list and execute the list step-by-step, just waiting for a new key-pressed event could pause the game. A much better approach would be to put tasks into different lists, and permit each list to ...