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Manage all incoming chat messages in java socket programming

I am developing a program that has a chat feature and I am using sockets in it.
In my case, I want to handle each of the client in a different window chat(PLEASE SEE ATTACHED IMAGE).
As of now, when 1 client is connected, there is no problem. But when 2 clients are connected, the first client will be overridden by the 2nd one and he can't receive messages from server not unless I close the connection for the latest client connected(Server still receiving messages from all client although only 1 client can receive from server).
How am I gonna do this? I am using captain casa framework
I want to manage it like what did the image below do.
IMAGE HERE
Here is my code:
Server:
public void mainserver(){
Thread server = new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
serverSocket = new ServerSocket(port);
System.out.println("Server Online... \nWaiting for Connections");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
while (accept){
try {
socket = serverSocket.accept();
System.out.println("New Connection Estasblished!!!");
chatHandler chat = new chatHandler(socket);
chat.start();
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("server not terminate all connections");
System.exit(-1);
}
}
}
});
server.start();
}
public class chatHandler extends Thread{
Socket socket;
public chatHandler(Socket socket){
this.socket = socket;
}
public void run(){
try {
din = new DataInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
dout = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
dout.writeUTF("Hi! Thank you for reaching us! How may I help you!?");
while (!read.equals(".end")){
read = din.readUTF();
if (getServerArea()!=null){
setServerArea(getServerArea()+"\n"+read);
}else {
setServerArea(read);
}
}
System.out.println("end of chat server");
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}finally {
System.out.println("Exit");
try {
dout.close();
din.close();
socket.close();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
public void serverSend(javax.faces.event.ActionEvent event) { // "Send" button
write = getServerField();
try {
dout.writeUTF(write);
dout.flush();
if (getServerArea()!=null){
setServerArea(getServerArea()+"\n"+write);
setServerField("");
}else {
setServerArea(write);
setServerField("");
}
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
System.out.println(write);
}
Client:
public void client(){
Thread client = new Thread(new Runnable() {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
socket = new Socket("localhost",port);
din = new DataInputStream(socket.getInputStream());
dout = new DataOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
while (!read.equals("bye")){
read = din.readUTF();
if (getClientArea()!=null){
setClientArea(getClientArea()+"\n"+read);
}else {
setClientArea(read);
}
}
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}finally {
try {
din.close();
dout.close();
socket.close();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
});
client.start();
}
public void clientSend(javax.faces.event.ActionEvent event) {
write = getClientField();
try {
dout.writeUTF(write);
dout.flush();
if (getClientArea()!=null){
setClientArea(getClientArea()+"\n"+write);
setClientField("");
}else {
setClientArea(write);
setClientField("");
}
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
System.out.println(write);
}

I believe I understand the problem, and how to correct it.
You are using a unique thread (chatHandler) for each new connection.
This thread writes an automatic "Hello" upon connection, but thereafter is dedicated to reading messages (in the while loop you only read din) and updating the console accordingly. Since each thread is managing a reference to din, all incoming messages are OK.
However, it seems that writing back to a client (serverSend) is not in a thread; it is triggered by a button event. At this point, dout will be a reference to the most recent connection, and not a reference to the client intended to get the message. That is why the most recent client gets all future messages.
The correction is to choose the correct 'dout' for the intended client. When the server 'operator' chooses to write a message back (clicking the send button), somehow you need to obtain the correct 'dout' for that client.
One way to do this is to establish dout prior to creating the thread (using socket), and maintain a relationship between each client, and it's corresponding dout (i.e. in a Map).
If the problem is still not clear (that each client must have a unique reference to dout), please let me know and I will try to clarify.

Set server listening a sending messages from (servers/client) to (server/client) separately for each client

Trying to write - distributive simulation framework, where program is represented by an array with moving objects, server send command to move, client answer objects out of array
Goal - server send text message to each connected client separately
- client answer
Problem - can not find a way how to implement server listening and writing to one choosed client
Is there anyone, please, who can help me or get some idea?
private ServerSocket serverSocket;
private ArrayList<BufferedReader> clientBufReaders;
private ArrayList<BufferedWriter> clientBufWriters;
public static void main(String[] args) {
Server server = new Server();
}
public Server() {
try {
this.serverSocket = new ServerSocket(23456);
this.clientBufReaders = new ArrayList<BufferedReader>();
this.clientBufWriters = new ArrayList<BufferedWriter>();
this.clients();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
private void clients() {
Thread acceptThread = new Thread(new Runnable() {
private Scanner in;
public void run() {
while (true) {
try {
Socket clientSocket = serverSocket.accept();
clientBufReaders.add(new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(clientSocket.getInputStream())));
clientBufWriters.add(new BufferedWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(clientSocket.getOutputStream())));
this.in = new Scanner(System.in);
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
);
acceptThread.start();
while (true) {
synchronized (clientBufReaders) {
for (BufferedReader in : clientBufReaders) {
try {
if (in.ready()) {
System.out.println(in.readLine());
} else {
}
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
}

Java threads not starting / working as expected

I am implementing a simple client-server architecture where multiple clients should be able to connect to the server and strings could be exchanged between the server and client.
My idea is that I'll have two threads on each side: a listener, constantly checking if there is anything new in the inputstream, and a writer thread, that writes into the socket if there is something to write.
However, the second thread doesn't even start... Only the first sysout is displayed.
//start new thread to handle client input
new Thread(
new ServerWorker(clientSocket, this, this.getIdCounter())).start();
System.out.println("server side listener started");
//start new thread to handle client output
new Thread(new ServerWorkerListener(clientSocket)).start();
System.out.println("server side writer started");
Here is some code from the ServerWorker:
public void run() {
try {
OutputStream output = clientSocket.getOutputStream();
while (true) {
// output.write(("Pling!\n\n").getBytes());
for (Client tempClient : server.getClientList()) {
if ((tempClient.getId() == this.id)
&& tempClient.isShouldSend()) {
output.write((tempClient.getOutputStream() + "\n\n")
.getBytes());
tempClient.setInputStream("");
tempClient.setShouldSend(false);
}
}
}
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("Error in serverWorker");
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
I really don't know what I'm missing...
Whole of ServerWorker:
public class ServerWorker implements Runnable {
protected Socket clientSocket = null;
protected String serverText = null;
protected int id;
protected Server server;
public ServerWorker(Socket clientSocket, Server server,
int id) {
this.clientSocket = clientSocket;
this.serverText = serverText;
this.id = id;
this.server = server;
}
public void run() {
try {
OutputStream output = clientSocket.getOutputStream();
while (true) {
// output.write(("Pling!\n\n").getBytes());
for (Client tempClient : server.getClientList()) {
if ((tempClient.getId() == this.id)
&& tempClient.isShouldSend()) {
output.write((tempClient.getOutputStream() + "\n\n")
.getBytes());
tempClient.setInputStream("");
tempClient.setShouldSend(false);
}
}
}
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("Error in serverWorker");
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Whole of ServerWorkerListener:
public class ServerWorkerListener implements Runnable {
private BufferedReader input;
private Socket clientSocket;
public ServerWorkerListener(Socket clientSocket) {
this.clientSocket = clientSocket;
run();
}
#Override
public void run() {
System.out.println("its running");
try {
BufferedReader in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
clientSocket.getInputStream()));
while (true) {
System.out.println("it's looping");
String inputLine = null;
if ((inputLine = in.readLine()) != null) {
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, inputLine, "InfoBox: "
+ "Message from client",
JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
}
}
} catch (UnknownHostException e) {
System.err.println("Don't know about client");
System.exit(1);
} catch (IOException e) {
System.err.println("Couldn't get I/O for the connection to client");
System.exit(1);
}
}
}

You are invoking run() inside the constructor of ServerWorkerListener, which you must not do. The new thread ought to invoke run(), otherwise, since it contains an infinite loop, it will never return from the constructor and hence never invoke the Thread’s constructor, not to speak of its start method. So removing run() the invocation from the constructor should solve the problem.

client/server connection closing causes loop error

I got to stage where client and server communicate, sending messages from and to each other.
The problem I am having is how to close the connection without causing an error?
If I terminate one of the apps (either server or client) that causes the connection to be lost, and then it causes the loop that is waiting for input to loop indefinitely and showing null's.
I tried closing sockets, buffers and even the thread, didn't work.
This is the client side
public void onClick(View view) {
try {
EditText et = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.EditText01);
String str = et.getText().toString();
PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(new BufferedWriter(
new OutputStreamWriter(socket.getOutputStream())), true);
out.println(str);
} catch (UnknownHostException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
class ClientThread implements Runnable {
#Override
public void run() {
try {
InetAddress serverAddr = InetAddress.getByName(SERVER_IP);
socket = new Socket(serverAddr, SERVERPORT);
CommunicationThread commThread = new CommunicationThread(socket);
new Thread(commThread).start();
} catch (UnknownHostException e1) {
e1.printStackTrace();
} catch (IOException e1) {
e1.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
This is the server side
class ServerThread implements Runnable {
public void run() {
Socket socket = null;
try {
serverSocket = new ServerSocket(SERVERPORT);
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
while (!Thread.currentThread().isInterrupted()) {
try {
socket = serverSocket.accept();
CommunicationThread commThread = new CommunicationThread(
socket);
new Thread(commThread).start();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
Both use these classes:
class CommunicationThread implements Runnable {
private Socket clientSocket;
private BufferedReader input;
public CommunicationThread(Socket clientSocket) {
this.clientSocket = clientSocket;
try {
this.input = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
this.clientSocket.getInputStream()));
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
public void run() {
while (!Thread.currentThread().isInterrupted()) {
try {
String read = input.readLine();
updateConversationHandler.post(new updateUIThread(read));
//***HERE EXTRA BIT FOR THE SERVER
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
}
class updateUIThread implements Runnable {
private String msg;
public updateUIThread(String str) {
this.msg = str;
}
#Override
public void run() {
text.setText(msg);
}
}
the only difference is the server has this bit where it says above ***HERE EXTRA BIT FOR THE SERVER
PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(new BufferedWriter(
new OutputStreamWriter(socket.getOutputStream())), true);
out.println("Message recieved");
so basically, client connects, server accepts, then client sends message, servers receives message and shows it, and then sends "Message received" to the client, and the client shows it.
All this works fine, but once the connection is lost, they hang on showing null repeatedly, and I have to force the app to close.

You aren't checking for end of stream. If readLine() returns null, the peer has closed the connection, and you must do likewise and stop reading.
It's hard to believe you really need a new thread for every line to update the UI.

Java Server socket stuck on accept call (Android Client, Java Server)

Below I have put a fragment of code to help understand my problem. I have a server code, works fine for the first time the client loads and sends a packet. After the first packet is received, the server is stuck on "accept".
I have wireshark configured for this port, and the server is getting those packets. I just wonder why accept wont return more than once. Its driving me nuts.
Server Code
public class DAPool implements Runnable {
private ServerSocket serverSocket;
private ArrayList<DA> pool;
private LinkedList<Socket> clientConnQ;
public DAPool(int newPoolSize, int serverPort) {
try {
serverSocket = new ServerSocket(serverPort, 500, InetAddress.getByName("127.0.0.1"));
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
return;
}
poolSize = newPoolSize;
clientConnQ = new LinkedList<Socket>();
pool = new ArrayList<DA>(poolSize);
DA deviceThread;
for (int threads = 0; threads < poolSize; threads++) {
deviceThread = new DA();
connPool.add(deviceThread);
deviceThread.start();
}
}
public void run() {
while (true) {
Socket incomingSocket;
try {
incomingSocket = serverSocket.accept();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
return;
}
insertNewConnToQ(incomingSocket);
}
}
private class DA extends Thread {
private Socket clientSocket;
private ObjectInputStream inputObjectStream;
public DA() {
}
public void run() {
while (true) {
while (clientConnQ.isEmpty()) {
synchronized (clientConnQ) {
try {
clientConnQ.wait();
} catch (InterruptedException ignored) {
ignored.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
synchronized (clientConnQ) {
clientSocket = (Socket) clientConnQ.removeFirst();
try {
inputObjectStream = new ObjectInputStream(clientSocket.getInputStream());
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
return;
}
// Do something useful here
}
}
}
}
}
Client Code
public class SendQueue extends Thread {
LinkedList<Message> requestQ;
Message sendRequest, requestMessage;
Socket clientSocket;
OutputStream outputStream;
ObjectOutputStream objectOutputStream;
public SendQueue(Socket newClientSocket) {
requestQ = new LinkedList<Message>();
clientSocket = newClientSocket;
}
public void run() {
while (true) {
synchronized (requestQ) {
while (requestQ.isEmpty()) {
try {
requestQ.wait();
} catch (InterruptedException ignored) {
ignored.printStackTrace();
}
}
sendRequest = requestQ.removeFirst();
}
try {
outputStream = clientSocket.getOutputStream();
objectOutputStream = new ObjectOutputStream(outputStream);
objectOutputStream.writeObject(sendRequest);
objectOutputStream.flush();
outputStream.flush();
} catch (IOException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} catch (RuntimeException e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
public int sendRequest(Message message) {
synchronized (requestQ) {
requestQ.addLast(message);
requestQ.notify();
}
return 0;
}
}

I don't see a timeout being set on the serverSocket.
ServerSocket.accept() is a blocking operation so it will block until either an error occurs, a timeout occurs, or a connection is accepted.
Try
SererSocket.setSOTimeout(10000)
You also don't seem to be closing your streams when your finished.

Are you sure that it is sticking on the accept call? Did you get a stacktrace that shows it waiting on accept?
Assuming it is getting stuck elsewhere I'm wondering if it isn't because clientConnQ is being held in one of your DA instances. The synchronized block covers the // Do something useful here section.
I wonder if it might work if you changed the code to be
synchronized (clientConnQ) {
clientSocket = (Socket) clientConnQ.removeFirst();
}
try {
...
Once you have your clientSocket from clientConnQ then no other instance can process that socket.

Ok, if I got a $ for everytime I asked a silly question :)
Here goes. A client socket connects and thats when a server receives a accept call. For some silly reason I was waiting on accept for receiving further data from the client. Infact, I should just wait for something on the "stream" and then process the stream. I should not wait on the accept for that connection.
Accept is to be called to "connect" to the socket, not to receive data continuously.
Thanks for your all your help. You forced me to think about thread synchronization, the design, sockets in general and finally arrive that the solution.
Fantastic responses people. Thanks.
Siddharth