Reader-Writer Synchronization

This Java program implements a solution to the classic reader-writer synchronization problem, giving priority to writer threads. It uses semaphores to ensure mutual exclusion and to control access to a shared integer buffer.

Author

Joseph Defendre

Description

The program creates multiple reader and writer threads, each attempting to read from or write to a shared buffer, respectively. Writers are given priority, meaning if both a reader and a writer are waiting to access the buffer, the writer goes first. The shared buffer is represented by a single integer.

Usage

To compile the program, run:

javac RW.java

To run the program, use the following command with the specified number of readers, writers, and the number of accesses for each thread:

java RW <# of readers> <# of writers> <# of access>

For example:

java RW 3 2 10

This command will start the program with 3 readers, 2 writers, and allow each thread to access the shared buffer 10 times.

Constraints

• The program is designed to handle up to 5 readers and 5 writers.
• Reader threads are named A, B, C, D, and E.
• Writer threads are named F, G, H, I, and J.
• Each writer will generate a positive integer less than 10 to write to the buffer.

Requirements

• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK).

Note

This project is intended for educational purposes and demonstrates basic concurrency control in Java using semaphores.