The first Java Threads Workshop will be held at the University of Kent, England, on 23-24 September, 1996. This workshop is being organised by Java users (under the umbrella of the World occam and Transputer User Group) and will focus on design and performance issues for threaded applications.
Concurrency has become increasingly important for many areas of system design, whether we are building animated applets for business use over the internet or safety-critical controllers for car braking systems. This workshop will present the threads programming model incorporated into the Java language and consider how best to exploit it for constructing robust and efficient concurrent systems. Reports will be given from experienced developers of real-time and/or parallel applications on their reactions to and experiences with Java. The intention is to exchange information and initiate debate.
Java is an object-oriented language based on C. Unlike C++, it has removed language features (such as structures, typedefs and functions) that are made redundant by the introduction of classes, objects and methods, leaving users with little option but to follow object-oriented principles. Java has also taken issues of security seriously, eliminating many (but, possibly, not all) of those features of C that make its semantics so complex. For example, explicit pointers and the pre-processor are gone, replaced by full language support for packages, arrays and booleans. Concurrency is also supported by language binding, rather than a set of library functions, so as to give greater clarity of expression (and, ultimately, support from the compiler) to this notoriously error-prone area of design and implementation.
In their application of Occam's razor and their concern for security and concurrency, the Java designers were motivated by the same considerations as the designers of occam. It is for this reason that the occam community has looked seriously at Java and its application. There is certainly a clash of cultures between the two communities, but there exists great potential for learning on both sides. The Java threads model is based upon C.A.R.Hoare's concept of monitors, whilst the occam process model is based upon C.A.R.Hoare's (later) concept of Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP). The consequences of this divergence are subtle and worthy of investigation. This workshop will be looking hard into this.
In surveying the rapidly growing literature concerning Java, information about its support for concurrency is currently hard to find in any detail. The aims of the workshop, therefore, are to present the semantics of Java threads in as simple a way as possible, examine how it is being used to implement concurrent applications, compare and contrast it (both qualitatively and quantitatively) against occam processes and provoke debate and feedback from all participants.
Further details, including on-line registration, for the
workshop have been placed on the Internet Parallel Computing
Archive at:
<URL:/parallel/groups/wotug/java/>
<URL:ftp://ftp.cs.ukc.ac.uk/pub/parallel/groups/wotug/java/>
Please note that this is a first draft and subject to change. Details will be updated on the above URLs.
Please use the On-line Registration.
The cost of this workshop is 60 pounds sterling covering overnight accommodation on 23rd September, all meals and handouts. Extra nights accomodation, including breakfast, can be aranged at a cost of 16.90 pounds per night. Please tick below as necessary (one of the last two boxes must be checked)
[ ] overnight accomodation for Sunday, 22nd September 1996
[ ] overnight accomodation for Tuesday, 24th September 1996
[ ] vegetarian meals only
[ ] I enclose a cheque for the workshop registration fee (+ any
extra nights)
[ ] I enclose an order form from my company/institution for the
workshop registration (+ any extra nights)
NAME:
ADDRESS:
EMAIL:
SIGNED:
DATE:
Please email this form to J.Broom@ukc.ac.uk or post to:
Judith Broom
Java Threads Workshop
Computing Laboratory
University of Kent at Canterbury
Canterbury
Kent
ENGLAND
CT2 7NF
Tel: +44 1227 827695 (01227 827695 in UK)
FAX: +44 1227 762811 (01227 762811 in UK)