Module java.base
Package java.util.concurrent

# Interface Executor

All Known Subinterfaces:
  `ExecutorService`, `ScheduledExecutorService`

All Known Implementing Classes:
  `AbstractExecutorService`, `ForkJoinPool`, `ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor`, `ThreadPoolExecutor`

public interface Executor
An object that executes submitted `Runnable` tasks. This interface provides a way of decoupling task submission from the mechanics of how each task will be run, including details of thread use, scheduling, etc. An `Executor` is normally used instead of explicitly creating threads. For example, rather than invoking `new Thread(new RunnableTask()).start()` for each of a set of tasks, you might use:

     Executor executor = anExecutor();
     executor.execute(new RunnableTask1());
     executor.execute(new RunnableTask2());
     ...

However, the `Executor` interface does not strictly require that execution be asynchronous. In the simplest case, an executor can run the submitted task immediately in the caller's thread:

     class DirectExecutor implements Executor {
       public void execute(Runnable r) {
         r.run();
       }
     }

More typically, tasks are executed in some thread other than the caller's thread. The executor below spawns a new thread for each task.

     class ThreadPerTaskExecutor implements Executor {
       public void execute(Runnable r) {
         new Thread(r).start();
       }
     }

Many `Executor` implementations impose some sort of limitation on how and when tasks are scheduled. The executor below serializes the submission of tasks to a second executor, illustrating a composite executor.

     class SerialExecutor implements Executor {
       final Queue<Runnable> tasks = new ArrayDeque<>();
       final Executor executor;
       Runnable active;

       SerialExecutor(Executor executor) {
         this.executor = executor;
       }

       public synchronized void execute(Runnable r) {
         tasks.add(() -> {
           try {
             r.run();
           } finally {
             scheduleNext();
           }
         });
         if (active == null) {
           scheduleNext();
         }
       }

       protected synchronized void scheduleNext() {
         if ((active = tasks.poll()) != null) {
           executor.execute(active);
         }
       }
     }

The `Executor` implementations provided in this package implement `ExecutorService`, which is a more extensive interface. The `ThreadPoolExecutor` class provides an extensible thread pool implementation. The `Executors` class provides convenient factory methods for these Executors.

Memory consistency effects: Actions in a thread prior to submitting a `Runnable` object to an `Executor` happen-before its execution begins, perhaps in another thread.

Since:
  1.5

## Method Summary

Modifier and Type
Method
Description
`void`
`execute(Runnable command)`
Executes the given command at some time in the future.

## Method Details

### execute

void execute(Runnable command)
Executes the given command at some time in the future. The command may execute in a new thread, in a pooled thread, or in the calling thread, at the discretion of the `Executor` implementation.

Parameters:
  `command` - the runnable task
Throws:
  `RejectedExecutionException` - if this task cannot be accepted for execution
  `NullPointerException` - if command is null