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1 /*
2  * Copyright (c) 2001, 2013, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
3  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
4  *
5  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
6  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
7  * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
8  * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
9  * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
10  *
11  * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
12  * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
13  * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
14  * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
15  * accompanied this code).
16  *
17  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
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20  *
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24  */
25 
26 /**
27  * Defines channels, which represent connections to entities that are capable of
28  * performing I/O operations, such as files and sockets; defines selectors, for
29  * multiplexed, non-blocking I/O operations.
30  *
31  * <a name="channels"></a>
32  *
33  * <blockquote><table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 summary="Lists channels and their descriptions">
34  * <tr><th align="left">Channels</th><th align="left">Description</th></tr>
35  * <tr><td valign=top><tt><i>{@link java.nio.channels.Channel}</i></tt></td>
36  *     <td>A nexus for I/O operations</td></tr>
37  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.ReadableByteChannel}</i></tt></td>
38  *     <td>Can read into a buffer</td></tr>
39  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.ScatteringByteChannel}&nbsp;&nbsp;</i></tt></td>
40  *     <td>Can read into a sequence of&nbsp;buffers</td></tr>
41  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.WritableByteChannel}</i></tt></td>
42  *     <td>Can write from a buffer</td></tr>
43  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.GatheringByteChannel}</i></tt></td>
44  *     <td>Can write from a sequence of&nbsp;buffers</td></tr>
45  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.ByteChannel}</i></tt></td>
46  *     <td>Can read/write to/from a&nbsp;buffer</td></tr>
47  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.SeekableByteChannel}</i></tt></td>
48  *     <td>A {@code ByteChannel} connected to an entity that contains a variable-length sequence of bytes</td></tr>
49  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousChannel}</i></tt></td>
50  *     <td>Supports asynchronous I/O operations.</td></tr>
51  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousByteChannel}</i></tt></td>
52  *     <td>Can read and write bytes asynchronously</td></tr>
53  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.NetworkChannel}</i></tt></td>
54  *     <td>A channel to a network socket</td></tr>
55  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>{@link java.nio.channels.MulticastChannel}</i></tt></td>
56  *     <td>Can join Internet Protocol (IP) multicast groups</td></tr>
57  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.Channels}</tt></td>
58  *     <td>Utility methods for channel/stream interoperation</td></tr>
59  * </table></blockquote>
60  *
61  * <p> A <i>channel</i> represents an open connection to an entity such as a
62  * hardware device, a file, a network socket, or a program component that is
63  * capable of performing one or more distinct I/O operations, for example reading
64  * or writing.  As specified in the {@link java.nio.channels.Channel} interface,
65  * channels are either open or closed, and they are both <i>asynchronously
66  * closeable</i> and <i>interruptible</i>.
67  *
68  * <p> The {@link java.nio.channels.Channel} interface is extended by several
69  * other interfaces.
70  *
71  * <p> The {@link java.nio.channels.ReadableByteChannel} interface specifies a
72  * {@link java.nio.channels.ReadableByteChannel#read read} method that reads bytes
73  * from the channel into a buffer; similarly, the {@link
74  * java.nio.channels.WritableByteChannel} interface specifies a {@link
75  * java.nio.channels.WritableByteChannel#write write} method that writes bytes
76  * from a buffer to the channel. The {@link java.nio.channels.ByteChannel}
77  * interface unifies these two interfaces for the common case of channels that can
78  * both read and write bytes. The {@link java.nio.channels.SeekableByteChannel}
79  * interface extends the {@code ByteChannel} interface with methods to {@link
80  * java.nio.channels.SeekableByteChannel#position() query} and {@link
81  * java.nio.channels.SeekableByteChannel#position(long) modify} the channel's
82  * current position, and its {@link java.nio.channels.SeekableByteChannel#size
83  * size}.
84  *
85  * <p> The {@link java.nio.channels.ScatteringByteChannel} and {@link
86  * java.nio.channels.GatheringByteChannel} interfaces extend the {@link
87  * java.nio.channels.ReadableByteChannel} and {@link
88  * java.nio.channels.WritableByteChannel} interfaces, respectively, adding {@link
89  * java.nio.channels.ScatteringByteChannel#read read} and {@link
90  * java.nio.channels.GatheringByteChannel#write write} methods that take a
91  * sequence of buffers rather than a single buffer.
92  *
93  * <p> The {@link java.nio.channels.NetworkChannel} interface specifies methods
94  * to {@link java.nio.channels.NetworkChannel#bind bind} the channel's socket,
95  * obtain the address to which the socket is bound, and methods to {@link
96  * java.nio.channels.NetworkChannel#getOption get} and {@link
97  * java.nio.channels.NetworkChannel#setOption set} socket options. The {@link
98  * java.nio.channels.MulticastChannel} interface specifies methods to join
99  * Internet Protocol (IP) multicast groups.
100  *
101  * <p> The {@link java.nio.channels.Channels} utility class defines static methods
102  * that support the interoperation of the stream classes of the <tt>{@link
103  * java.io}</tt> package with the channel classes of this package.  An appropriate
104  * channel can be constructed from an {@link java.io.InputStream} or an {@link
105  * java.io.OutputStream}, and conversely an {@link java.io.InputStream} or an
106  * {@link java.io.OutputStream} can be constructed from a channel.  A {@link
107  * java.io.Reader} can be constructed that uses a given charset to decode bytes
108  * from a given readable byte channel, and conversely a {@link java.io.Writer} can
109  * be constructed that uses a given charset to encode characters into bytes and
110  * write them to a given writable byte channel.
111  *
112  * <blockquote><table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 summary="Lists file channels and their descriptions">
113  * <tr><th align="left">File channels</th><th align="left">Description</th></tr>
114  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.FileChannel}</tt></td>
115  *     <td>Reads, writes, maps, and manipulates files</td></tr>
116  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.FileLock}</tt></td>
117  *     <td>A lock on a (region of a) file</td></tr>
118  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.MappedByteBuffer}&nbsp;&nbsp;</tt></td>
119  *     <td>A direct byte buffer mapped to a region of a&nbsp;file</td></tr>
120  * </table></blockquote>
121  *
122  * <p> The {@link java.nio.channels.FileChannel} class supports the usual
123  * operations of reading bytes from, and writing bytes to, a channel connected to
124  * a file, as well as those of querying and modifying the current file position
125  * and truncating the file to a specific size.  It defines methods for acquiring
126  * locks on the whole file or on a specific region of a file; these methods return
127  * instances of the {@link java.nio.channels.FileLock} class.  Finally, it defines
128  * methods for forcing updates to the file to be written to the storage device that
129  * contains it, for efficiently transferring bytes between the file and other
130  * channels, and for mapping a region of the file directly into memory.
131  *
132  * <p> A {@code FileChannel} is created by invoking one of its static {@link
133  * java.nio.channels.FileChannel#open open} methods, or by invoking the {@code
134  * getChannel} method of a {@link java.io.FileInputStream}, {@link
135  * java.io.FileOutputStream}, or {@link java.io.RandomAccessFile} to return a
136  * file channel connected to the same underlying file as the <tt>{@link java.io}</tt>
137  * class.
138  *
139  * <a name="multiplex"></a>
140  * <blockquote><table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 summary="Lists multiplexed, non-blocking channels and their descriptions">
141  * <tr><th align="left">Multiplexed, non-blocking I/O</th><th align="left"><p>Description</th></tr>
142  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.SelectableChannel}</tt></td>
143  *     <td>A channel that can be multiplexed</td></tr>
144  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;{@link java.nio.channels.DatagramChannel}</tt></td>
145  *     <td>A channel to a datagram-oriented socket</td></tr>
146  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;{@link java.nio.channels.Pipe.SinkChannel}</tt></td>
147  *     <td>The write end of a pipe</td></tr>
148  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;{@link java.nio.channels.Pipe.SourceChannel}</tt></td>
149  *     <td>The read end of a pipe</td></tr>
150  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;{@link java.nio.channels.ServerSocketChannel}&nbsp;&nbsp;</tt></td>
151  *     <td>A channel to a stream-oriented listening socket</td></tr>
152  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>&nbsp;&nbsp;{@link java.nio.channels.SocketChannel}</tt></td>
153  *     <td>A channel for a stream-oriented connecting socket</td></tr>
154  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.Selector}</tt></td>
155  *     <td>A multiplexor of selectable channels</td></tr>
156  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.SelectionKey}</tt></td>
157  *     <td>A token representing the registration <br> of a channel
158  *     with&nbsp;a&nbsp;selector</td></tr>
159  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.Pipe}</tt></td>
160  *     <td>Two channels that form a unidirectional&nbsp;pipe</td></tr>
161  * </table></blockquote>
162  *
163  * <p> Multiplexed, non-blocking I/O, which is much more scalable than
164  * thread-oriented, blocking I/O, is provided by <i>selectors</i>, <i>selectable
165  * channels</i>, and <i>selection keys</i>.
166  *
167  * <p> A <a href="Selector.html"><i>selector</i></a> is a multiplexor of <a
168  * href="SelectableChannel.html"><i>selectable channels</i></a>, which in turn are
169  * a special type of channel that can be put into <a
170  * href="SelectableChannel.html#bm"><i>non-blocking mode</i></a>.  To perform
171  * multiplexed I/O operations, one or more selectable channels are first created,
172  * put into non-blocking mode, and {@link
173  * java.nio.channels.SelectableChannel#register <i>registered</i>}
174  * with a selector.  Registering a channel specifies the set of I/O operations
175  * that will be tested for readiness by the selector, and returns a <a
176  * href="SelectionKey.html"><i>selection key</i></a> that represents the
177  * registration.
178  *
179  * <p> Once some channels have been registered with a selector, a <a
180  * href="Selector.html#selop"><i>selection operation</i></a> can be performed in
181  * order to discover which channels, if any, have become ready to perform one or
182  * more of the operations in which interest was previously declared.  If a channel
183  * is ready then the key returned when it was registered will be added to the
184  * selector's <i>selected-key set</i>.  The key set, and the keys within it, can
185  * be examined in order to determine the operations for which each channel is
186  * ready.  From each key one can retrieve the corresponding channel in order to
187  * perform whatever I/O operations are required.
188  *
189  * <p> That a selection key indicates that its channel is ready for some operation
190  * is a hint, but not a guarantee, that such an operation can be performed by a
191  * thread without causing the thread to block.  It is imperative that code that
192  * performs multiplexed I/O be written so as to ignore these hints when they prove
193  * to be incorrect.
194  *
195  * <p> This package defines selectable-channel classes corresponding to the {@link
196  * java.net.DatagramSocket}, {@link java.net.ServerSocket}, and {@link
197  * java.net.Socket} classes defined in the <tt>{@link java.net}</tt> package.
198  * Minor changes to these classes have been made in order to support sockets that
199  * are associated with channels.  This package also defines a simple class that
200  * implements unidirectional pipes.  In all cases, a new selectable channel is
201  * created by invoking the static <tt>open</tt> method of the corresponding class.
202  * If a channel needs an associated socket then a socket will be created as a side
203  * effect of this operation.
204  *
205  * <p> The implementation of selectors, selectable channels, and selection keys
206  * can be replaced by "plugging in" an alternative definition or instance of the
207  * {@link java.nio.channels.spi.SelectorProvider} class defined in the <tt>{@link
208  * java.nio.channels.spi}</tt> package.  It is not expected that many developers
209  * will actually make use of this facility; it is provided primarily so that
210  * sophisticated users can take advantage of operating-system-specific
211  * I/O-multiplexing mechanisms when very high performance is required.
212  *
213  * <p> Much of the bookkeeping and synchronization required to implement the
214  * multiplexed-I/O abstractions is performed by the {@link
215  * java.nio.channels.spi.AbstractInterruptibleChannel}, {@link
216  * java.nio.channels.spi.AbstractSelectableChannel}, {@link
217  * java.nio.channels.spi.AbstractSelectionKey}, and {@link
218  * java.nio.channels.spi.AbstractSelector} classes in the <tt>{@link
219  * java.nio.channels.spi}</tt> package.  When defining a custom selector provider,
220  * only the {@link java.nio.channels.spi.AbstractSelector} and {@link
221  * java.nio.channels.spi.AbstractSelectionKey} classes should be subclassed
222  * directly; custom channel classes should extend the appropriate {@link
223  * java.nio.channels.SelectableChannel} subclasses defined in this package.
224  *
225  * <a name="async"></a>
226  *
227  * <blockquote><table cellspacing=1 cellpadding=0 summary="Lists asynchronous channels and their descriptions">
228  * <tr><th align="left">Asynchronous I/O</th><th align="left">Description</th></tr>
229  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousFileChannel}</tt></td>
230  *     <td>An asynchronous channel for reading, writing, and manipulating a file</td></tr>
231  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousSocketChannel}</tt></td>
232  *     <td>An asynchronous channel to a stream-oriented connecting socket</td></tr>
233  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousServerSocketChannel}&nbsp;&nbsp;</tt></td>
234  *     <td>An asynchronous channel to a stream-oriented listening socket</td></tr>
235  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.CompletionHandler}</tt></td>
236  *     <td>A handler for consuming the result of an asynchronous operation</td></tr>
237  * <tr><td valign=top><tt>{@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousChannelGroup}</tt></td>
238  *     <td>A grouping of asynchronous channels for the purpose of resource sharing</td></tr>
239  * </table></blockquote>
240  *
241  * <p> {@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousChannel Asynchronous channels} are a
242  * special type of channel capable of asynchronous I/O operations. Asynchronous
243  * channels are non-blocking and define methods to initiate asynchronous
244  * operations, returning a {@link java.util.concurrent.Future} representing the
245  * pending result of each operation. The {@code Future} can be used to poll or
246  * wait for the result of the operation. Asynchronous I/O operations can also
247  * specify a {@link java.nio.channels.CompletionHandler} to invoke when the
248  * operation completes. A completion handler is user provided code that is executed
249  * to consume the result of I/O operation.
250  *
251  * <p> This package defines asynchronous-channel classes that are connected to
252  * a stream-oriented connecting or listening socket, or a datagram-oriented socket.
253  * It also defines the {@link java.nio.channels.AsynchronousFileChannel} class
254  * for asynchronous reading, writing, and manipulating a file. As with the {@link
255  * java.nio.channels.FileChannel} it supports operations to truncate the file
256  * to a specific size, force updates to the file to be written to the storage
257  * device, or acquire locks on the whole file or on a specific region of the file.
258  * Unlike the {@code FileChannel} it does not define methods for mapping a
259  * region of the file directly into memory. Where memory mapped I/O is required,
260  * then a {@code FileChannel} can be used.
261  *
262  * <p> Asynchronous channels are bound to an asynchronous channel group for the
263  * purpose of resource sharing. A group has an associated {@link
264  * java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService} to which tasks are submitted to handle
265  * I/O events and dispatch to completion handlers that consume the result of
266  * asynchronous operations performed on channels in the group. The group can
267  * optionally be specified when creating the channel or the channel can be bound
268  * to a <em>default group</em>. Sophisticated users may wish to create their
269  * own asynchronous channel groups or configure the {@code ExecutorService}
270  * that will be used for the default group.
271  *
272  * <p> As with selectors, the implementation of asynchronous channels can be
273  * replaced by "plugging in" an alternative definition or instance of the {@link
274  * java.nio.channels.spi.AsynchronousChannelProvider} class defined in the
275  * <tt>{@link java.nio.channels.spi}</tt> package.  It is not expected that many
276  * developers will actually make use of this facility; it is provided primarily
277  * so that sophisticated users can take advantage of operating-system-specific
278  * asynchronous I/O mechanisms when very high performance is required.
279  *
280  * <hr width="80%">
281  * <p> Unless otherwise noted, passing a <tt>null</tt> argument to a constructor
282  * or method in any class or interface in this package will cause a {@link
283  * java.lang.NullPointerException NullPointerException} to be thrown.
284  *
285  * @since 1.4
286  * @author Mark Reinhold
287  * @author JSR-51 Expert Group
288  */
289 
290 package java.nio.channels;
291