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Handling multi Java TCP clients with Threads

I have been working with TCP server/client stuff for a while. I am actully good at UDP programming when it comes to connecting more than one user that is multiple clients. I tried to do the same on a TCP server that i made using Threads but whenever the Thread gets to this piece of code
String reader = (String)in.readObject();
an error is generated and the thread stops executing the code but the thread still runs the program keeping it alive.
Anyway here is the entire source code :
public class TestServer implements Runnable {
private Thread run, streams, connect, receive, send;
private ServerSocket socket;
private Socket conn;
private ObjectInputStream in;
private ObjectOutputStream out;
private boolean running, incomingMessage = false;
private int port;
public TestServer(int port) throws IOException {
this.port = port;
socket = new ServerSocket(port);
console("Server stated on : " + InetAddress.getLocalHost() + " : " + port);
run = new Thread(this, "Run");
run.start();
}
public void run() {
running = true;
connect();
receive();
}
private void connect() {
connect = new Thread("Connect") {
public void run() {
while(running) {
try {
conn = socket.accept();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
console("You are now connected" + conn.getInetAddress().toString() + " : " + conn.getPort());
try {
setupStreams();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}; connect.start();
}
private void setupStreams() throws IOException {
streams = new Thread("Streams") {
public void run() {
try {
console("Setting up Streams");
out = new ObjectOutputStream(conn.getOutputStream());
out.flush();
in = new ObjectInputStream(conn.getInputStream());
console("Streams are now setup");
incomingMessage = true;
receive.start();
} catch(IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}; streams.start();
}
private void receive() {
receive = new Thread("Receive") {
public void run() {
while(incomingMessage) {
String message = "";
try {
message = (String) in.readObject();
//This is the only flaw the program
} catch (ClassNotFoundException | IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
console("Client : " + message);
}
}
};
}
private void console(String message) {
System.out.println(message);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
new TestServer(1234);
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
FYI am not new to this. The error is caused because the server starts receiving packets even when there are no packets to be received. But because the thread forces it to receive it, i generates the error in the thread and dont know any other way to counter this. So please help. Thanks in Advance.

You shouldn't need 2 threads per connection. One thread is all that's required. After the connection is accepted, pass it to a worker thread to start reading. This can be done in a while loop in the worker thread.
Even though the socket's input stream can be read, the ObjectInputStream() class is more sensitive. If there is any error, its state is corrupted and it can't be used.
while (true) {
try {
Object input = in.readObject();
message = (String) input;
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
break; //unrecoverable
} catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
break; //unrecoverable
}
console("Client : " + message);
}
It's a better design to use a specific message protocol instead of sending serialized Java objects. For example if you are sending Strings like your sample, an InputStreamReader can be used to convert bytes to characters more easily and with less error handling.
These resources would be helpful to you:
https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/networking/sockets/clientServer.html#later
Java - Listening to a socket with ObjectInputStream
ObjectInputStream(socket.getInputStream()); does not work

Why is this message getting sent to the wrong client? (Deduping)

I have a chat program. The problem is that I am trying to disallow dupe names. Essentially, whenever a name change request is sent to the server, it is checked against the list of names currently in use and if it is already taken, the person is added to my shitlist (not allowed to post) and they are sent a message that they need to change their name.
I commented the crap out of the code since there is a lot so you can understand it easily.
The problem is that the wrong person is being sent the message that the name is already in use! I have spent the last 8 hours trying to find it and It's bloody driving me mad!
The server side code is long; I'll post the relevant bits and any further will be provided on request. I'll also link to the complete program. (Not the source, the JAR.)
JAR: https://www.mediafire.com/?4t2shjdjf7blpg2
//...Irrelevant bits ommitted...//
public class Server
{
// The server object reference
static Server server;
// Declarations:
private ArrayList<ObjectOutputStream> clientOutputStreams; // out streams
private ArrayList<String> takenNames = new ArrayList<>(); // taken names
private InetAddress ip;
private final int serverPort; // the port the server is running on
private static ObjectOutputStream changer; // the last person to change names
private ArrayList<ObjectOutputStream> shitList = new ArrayList<>();
private HashMap <InetAddress, ObjectOutputStream> ipMap =
new HashMap<>(); // <ip, outputstream>
//...Irrelevant bits ommited...//
// Don't mind this non-indentation, it is supposed to be.
public void tellEveryone(Message message, InetAddress senderIP)
{
// First check some special conditions..
if(message.getType() == Message.TYPE.IN_USE)
{
try
{
changer.writeObject(message);
}
catch (IOException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
// If someone is on my shitlist,
if(shitList.contains(ipMap.get(senderIP)))
{
// Warn them of their sins...
Message nopeMessage = new Message(Message.TYPE.SERVER,
"You may not send any messages until you change your name!",
"Server");
try
{
ipMap.get(senderIP).writeObject(nopeMessage);
}
catch(IOException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
else
{
// Send message normally to everyone...
// Sync, just to be safe
synchronized(clientOutputStreams)
{
for(ObjectOutputStream oo : clientOutputStreams) // while more clients...
{
try
{
oo.writeObject(message);
oo.flush();
}
catch(IOException e)
{
System.out.println("IOException caught during tellEveryone()");
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
System.out.println(getTimeStamp() + ": Message Sent by:".
concat(" " + senderIP + "/ " + message.getSenderName()));
}
}
The server handler inner class...
public class ServerHandler implements Runnable
{
#Override
public void run()
{
// Create a list of client out streams to send stuff...
clientOutputStreams = new ArrayList<>();
try // To establish a connection with clients
{
// Create server socket...
ServerSocket serverSocket = new ServerSocket(serverPort);
while(true) // Will always run! Blocks!
{
// Assign a client socket to any new socket connections...
// (The var used here is temp, but will be passed off soon.)
Socket clientSocket = serverSocket.accept();
// Get's the ip of the client that connected...
ip = clientSocket.getInetAddress();
System.out.println(ip + " " + "connected.");
// Create ooStream to send messages to client...
ObjectOutputStream ooStream =
new ObjectOutputStream(
clientSocket.getOutputStream());
// Add the client oo stream to the list of outputs...
clientOutputStreams.add(ooStream);
// Add user IP data to map of ip's
ipMap.putIfAbsent(ip, ooStream);
// Create new thread to run inner class ClientHandler...
Thread t = new Thread(new ClientHandler(clientSocket));
// Running the thread makes it safe to overwrite the...
// ...clientsocket variable.
t.start();
}
}
catch (IOException e)
{
System.out.println("Exception in server.run()");
// TODO: Revise
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
The client handler inner class
public class ClientHandler implements Runnable
{
private ObjectInputStream oInStream; // The client's input stream.
private Socket socket; // Socket to the client
public ClientHandler(Socket clientSocket)
{
try // to create an input stream...
{
socket = clientSocket; // <-- The one passed in to the method
// Potential error from previous version... REMOVE WHEN TESTED
oInStream = new ObjectInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
}
catch(IOException e)
{
System.out.println("Error establishing input stream");
}
}
#Override
public void run()
{
Message message;
try // To process incoming messages...
{
while(socket.isClosed() == false) // If the socket is open...
{
// While there are more messages...
// Also assigns to the message var.
while((message = (Message)oInStream.readObject()) != null)
{
// Passes on the message and sender info.
if(message.getType() == Message.TYPE.NAME_REQUEST)
{
changer = ipMap.get(socket.getInetAddress());
System.out.println(socket.getInetAddress());
System.out.println(changer.toString());
handleNameRequests(message);
}
else
{
tellEveryone(message, ip); // TEST CHANGE- DELETED IF TEST
}
}
// TEST TEST TEST
synchronized(clientOutputStreams)
{
int index =
clientOutputStreams.indexOf(
socket.getOutputStream());
clientOutputStreams.remove(index);
System.out.println("Removed the client in sync");
}
}
// TEST TEST TEST
socket.close(); // TEST CLOSING SOCKET WHEN DONE.
System.out.println("Sock closed after while loop in ch run()");
}
catch(IOException e)
{
System.out.println("IOException caught when "
+ "reading message.");
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e)
{
System.out.println("Some poor sap is going to have to debug"
+ "this!");
}
finally
{
// THIS WHOLE BLOCK: TEST TEST TEST
try
{
oInStream.close();
System.out.println("just closed oinStream");
}
catch(IOException e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}

I FINALLY FOUND IT!
For any future people encountering a similar problem, the problem was that I was assigning the ip variable in the wrong place! This essentially resulted in the list of ip's being all the same! Another bug confounded that problem, in that when I disabled the sending ability of messages when on my shitlist (aren't programmers the darndest?), I disabled ALL types of messages, including those from the server, ect! Oops!
The lesson? Bugs hide in the darndest places. Walk through everything, and doubt what you know to be true. Assume nothing, verify everything. There are never enough print statements when debugging!

Java server listen to socket when needed

public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Server server = new Server(9008);
}
}
public class Server {
private ServerSocket server;
private Socket client;
public Server(int port) {
try {
// Create out server with our desired port
server = new ServerSocket(port);
// Server started, let the user know
System.out.println("Server started at port " + port + "...");
} catch (IOException e) {
// Unable to start server, print error
System.out.println("Unable to start server on port " + port + "...");
}
// Start our main server method
runServer();
}
public void runServer() {
while (true) {
try {
// Wait for new clients and accept them
client = server.accept();
// Let the user know - print
System.out.println("New user connected - " + client.getLocalAddress().getHostAddress());
// Start thread for our client
Thread clientThread = new Thread(new ClientConnection(client));
clientThread.start();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
So at this points everything is going fine, now inside my clientThread the problem starts
public class ClientConnection implements Runnable {
private Socket socket;
public ClientConnection(Socket client) {
// Set client socket
this.socket = client;
}
public void run() {
try {
// Read from our client input
BufferedReader readClient = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(socket.getInputStream()));
String line;
while ((line = readClient.readLine()) != null) {
System.out.println("Client says - " + readClient.readLine());
}
} catch(IOException e) {
}
}
}
Is there a better way to handle this?
My actual client
public class Main {
public static void main(String args[]) {
try {
Socket socket = new Socket("localhost", 9008);
BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(socket.getOutputStream()));
writer.write("Hello\n");
writer.flush();
socket.close();
} catch (UnknownHostException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
I will get "Client says - null" displayed

UPDATE: The way to read in an InputStream/Reader is somethink like
while ((myString = readClient.readLine()) != null) {
System.out.println(myString);
}
this way the loop will exit when the connection is closed.
Also, move the try/catch outside the loop, or do some error control. If you get an exception, you do not want to just try get again in the loop.
UPDATE2: In case my comment was not clear enough, over your updated code do
String line;
while ((line = readClient.readLine()) != null) {
System.out.println("Client says - " + line);
}
Just one read per iteration, at the while, so the loop can exit if line is null (that means the connection has been closed).

Java Socket I/O Streams Null Pointer Exception

I've got a simple client and server that I've written to teach myself a bit of networking. The way it's set up is I've got a main server class which will deal with creating/destroying sockets, and the ConnectionThread class that represents each connection (each of which is given its own thread). The client is super simple.
The problem lies in creating the input/output streams in the ConnectionThread class. I'm not sure exactly what the problem is, but it crashes when the simple test client tries to connect, giving me this:
~~MMO Server Alpha .1~~
Constructed Server
Server Initialized, preparing to start...
Server preparing to check if it should be listening...
Server should be listening, continuing as planned.
ServerSocket passed to ConnectionThread: ServerSocket[addr=0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0,localport=6969]
Constructing ConnectionThread.
Socket[addr=/10.0.1.10,port=55332,localport=6969]
ConnectionThread constructed.
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NullPointerException
at ConnectionThread.init(ConnectionThread.java:65)
at Server.listen(Server.java:98)
at Server.start(Server.java:62)
at Server.main(Server.java:122)
ConnectionThread added to queue.
Establishing in and out streams:
null
Here are the classes (amended for brevity):
public class Server {
int PORT;
boolean shouldListen;
ArrayList<ConnectionThread> connections = new ArrayList<ConnectionThread>();
ServerSocket serverSocket;
public Server() {
try {
PORT = 6969;
shouldListen = true;
serverSocket = new ServerSocket(PORT);
}
catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("Error in server constructor.");
System.exit(1);
}
}
public void start() {
System.out.println("Server preparing to check if it should be listening...");
listen();
System.out.println("Server finished listening.");
}
public void listen() {
while (shouldListen) {
ConnectionThread conn = null;
System.out.println("Server should be listening, continuing as planned.");
try {
conn = new ConnectionThread(serverSocket);
}
catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println("____Error constructing ConnectionThread. Could there be another instance of the server running?");
System.exit(1);
}
System.out.println("ConnectionThread constructed.");
connections.add(conn);
System.out.println("ConnectionThread added to queue.");
conn.init();
System.out.println("Finished ConnectionThread initialization, verifying...");
if (conn.isInitialized) {
System.out.println("ConnectionThread Initialized, preparing to start new thread.");
(new Thread(conn)).start();
}
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("~~MMO Server Alpha .1~~");
Server server = new Server();
System.out.println("Constructed Server");
server.init();
System.out.println("Server Initialized, preparing to start...");
server.start();
}
}
Here's the ConnectionThread class:
public class ConnectionThread implements Runnable {
boolean shouldBeListening = true;
boolean isThereAnUnsentOutgoingMessage = false;
String outgoingMessage = "OUTGOING UNINITIALIZED";
boolean IsThereAnUnsentIncomingMessage = false;
String incomingMessage = "INCOMING UNITIALIZED";
boolean isInitialized = false;
PrintWriter out;
BufferedReader in;
String currentInputMessage = "Test Input Message from the Server ConnectionThread";
String previousInputMessage = null;
Socket socket;
public ConnectionThread(ServerSocket s) {
System.out.println("ServerSocket passed to ConnectionThread: " + s);
/*
* The purpose of the constructor is to establish a socket
* as soon as possible. All transmissions/logic/anything else
* should happen in init() and/or run().
*/
System.out.println("Constructing ConnectionThread.");
try {
Socket socket = s.accept();
System.out.println(socket);
}
catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("Error in ConnectionThread constructor");
System.exit(1);
}
}
public void init() {
/*
* Everything should be set up here before run is called.
* Once init is finished, run() should be set to begin work.
* This is to ensure each packet is efficiently processed.
*/
try {
System.out.println("Establishing in and out streams:");
System.out.println(socket);
out = new PrintWriter(socket.getOutputStream(), true);
System.out.println("ConnectionThread: Output Stream (PrintWriter) Established");
in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(socket.getInputStream()));
System.out.println("ConnectionThread: InputStream (BufferedReader) Established");
}
catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("Error in ConnectionThread method Init.");
System.exit(1);
}
isInitialized = true;
}
And optionally, here's the test client:
public class TestClient {
static PrintWriter out;
BufferedReader in;
public final int PORT = 6969;
Socket socket = null;
InetAddress host = null;
public TestClient() {
out = null;
in = null;
socket = null;
host = null;
}
public void connectToServer() {
System.out.println("Connecting to server...");
try {
host = InetAddress.getLocalHost();
socket = new Socket(host.getHostName(), PORT);
}
catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println("Error establishing host/socket");
System.exit(1);
}
try {
System.out.println("Establishing I/O Streams");
out = new PrintWriter(socket.getOutputStream(), true);
in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(socket.getInputStream()));
}
catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println("Error establishing in/out streams");
System.exit(1);
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("~~TestClient Alpha .1~~");
TestClient c = new TestClient();
c.connectToServer();
System.out.println("Should be connected to server. Sending test message...");
while (true) {
System.out.println("here");
out.println("Hello there");
}
}
}

The 'socket' variable in the constructor of ConnectionThread shouldn't be local. It is shadowing the member variable.
It is customary to call accept() in the listen() loop, and pass the accepted socket to the ConnectionThread.

As EJP said, in your ConnectionThread constructor you think that you are assigning the value to the socket field, however you are actually assigning the value to the socket method variable, thus the socket field remains null, and in init() you see socket as null.

In addition to EJP answer: you did not provide ConnectionThread.run() method, but I assume you are going to use fields in, out and socket in your run() method. Since these fields are not marked as volatile or final, depending on your luck and number of core on your computer, you may also get NullPointerException at run() method.
This is because new variable value may be not propagated between caches and new thread will not see value of changed.
Explanation of this possible problem is here - The code example which can prove "volatile" declare should be used

Infinite loop when deploying OSGI bundle with network server

I'm trying to implement OSGI bundle with network server which uses network sockets.
This is the complete source code: http://www.2shared.com/file/RMXby331/CB_27.html
This is the Activator:
package org.DX_57.osgi.CB_27.impl;
import java.util.Properties;
import org.DX_57.osgi.CB_27.api.CBridge;
import org.DX_57.osgi.CB_27.impl.EchoServer;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleActivator;
import org.osgi.framework.BundleContext;
import org.osgi.framework.ServiceRegistration;
public class CBridgeApp implements BundleActivator {
public void start(BundleContext bc) throws Exception {
ServiceRegistration registerService = bc.registerService(CBridge.class.getName(), new CBridgeImpl(), new Properties());
EchoServer();
}
public void stop(BundleContext bc) throws Exception {
boolean ungetService = bc.ungetService(bc.getServiceReference(CBridge.class.getName()));
}
private void EchoServer() {
EchoServer method = new EchoServer();
}
}
This is the source code if the Java Network server:
package org.DX_57.osgi.CB_27.impl;
import java.net.*;
import java.io.*;
public class EchoServer
{
ServerSocket m_ServerSocket;
public EchoServer()
{
try
{
// Create the server socket.
m_ServerSocket = new ServerSocket(12111);
}
catch(IOException ioe)
{
System.out.println("Could not create server socket at 12111. Quitting.");
System.exit(-1);
}
System.out.println("Listening for clients on 12111...");
// Successfully created Server Socket. Now wait for connections.
int id = 0;
while(true)
{
try
{
// Accept incoming connections.
Socket clientSocket = m_ServerSocket.accept();
// accept() will block until a client connects to the server.
// If execution reaches this point, then it means that a client
// socket has been accepted.
// For each client, we will start a service thread to
// service the client requests. This is to demonstrate a
// multithreaded server, although not required for such a
// trivial application. Starting a thread also lets our
// EchoServer accept multiple connections simultaneously.
// Start a service thread
ClientServiceThread cliThread = new ClientServiceThread(clientSocket, id++);
cliThread.start();
}
catch(IOException ioe)
{
System.out.println("Exception encountered on accept. Ignoring. Stack Trace :");
ioe.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
public static void main (String[] args)
{
new EchoServer();
}
class ClientServiceThread extends Thread
{
Socket m_clientSocket;
int m_clientID = -1;
boolean m_bRunThread = true;
ClientServiceThread(Socket s, int clientID)
{
m_clientSocket = s;
m_clientID = clientID;
}
public void run()
{
// Obtain the input stream and the output stream for the socket
// A good practice is to encapsulate them with a BufferedReader
// and a PrintWriter as shown below.
BufferedReader in = null;
PrintWriter out = null;
// Print out details of this connection
System.out.println("Accepted Client : ID - " + m_clientID + " : Address - " +
m_clientSocket.getInetAddress().getHostName());
try
{
in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(m_clientSocket.getInputStream()));
out = new PrintWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(m_clientSocket.getOutputStream()));
// At this point, we can read for input and reply with appropriate output.
// Run in a loop until m_bRunThread is set to false
while(m_bRunThread)
{
// read incoming stream
String clientCommand = in.readLine();
System.out.println("Client Says :" + clientCommand);
if(clientCommand.equalsIgnoreCase("quit"))
{
// Special command. Quit this thread
m_bRunThread = false;
System.out.print("Stopping client thread for client : " + m_clientID);
}
else
{
// Echo it back to the client.
out.println(clientCommand);
out.flush();
}
}
}
catch(Exception e)
{
e.printStackTrace();
}
finally
{
// Clean up
try
{
in.close();
out.close();
m_clientSocket.close();
System.out.println("...Stopped");
}
catch(IOException ioe)
{
ioe.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
}
When I try to deploy the bundle on Glassfish server the application server hangs but I can connect to the java network server using the java client. It seems that there is a infinite loop. I need help to fix the code.
Best wishes

Your bundle activator start method never returns, because you're calling constructor of your service with infinite loop. A good practice is to return as fast as possible from bundle activators.
Here is an idea how to rewrite your code:
public class EchoServer {
private volatile boolean started;
public void start() {
new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
started = true;
try {
m_ServerSocket = new ServerSocket(12111);
} catch(IOException ioe) {
System.out.println("Could not create server socket at 12111. Quitting.");
System.exit(-1);
}
System.out.println("Listening for clients on 12111...");
// Successfully created Server Socket. Now wait for connections.
int id = 0;
while (started) {
try {
Socket clientSocket = m_ServerSocket.accept();
ClientServiceThread cliThread = new ClientServiceThread(clientSocket, id++);
cliThread.start();
} catch(IOException ioe) {
System.out.println("Exception encountered on accept. Ignoring. Stack Trace :");
ioe.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}).start();
}
public void stop() {
started = false;
}
}
Activator
public class CBridgeApp implements BundleActivator {
private EchoServer method;
public void start(BundleContext bc) throws Exception {
...
method = new EchoServer();
method.start();
}
public void stop(BundleContext bc) throws Exception {
...
method.stop();
}
}