Java Memory Model: A cache image data question, multithreaded.

[Todd Patrick]

From this quote, "Just save the images in memory and retrieve them from memory instead of the network when you need to."

If I create a Thread that has a Runnable in which downloads images and stores the image data in memory (variables within an Object), how can I reference the same Object from a different Thread to get the image data in memory?

[Chris Treglio]

I'm not sure this is the best way to do it, but when you create your Runnable to go a gradually load images from the network, you can pass it an empty Map (or something similar). The class that's kicking off your runnable should keep a reference to the Map, and make it available to whatever other threads might want to get images.

Then, you can use the String path to the image as the key to see if an image is loaded into your Map cache before you try to go get it on the network independently.

Is that what you're looking for?

[Todd Patrick]

That is definitely a very good idea and something that I will try today. Thank you.

[Campbell Ritchie]

I think this is too difficult a question for "beginning", so I shall move it.