Java Sleep Method: Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) vs. Thread.sleep(x)

Introduction

One of the common tasks in Java programming is delaying the execution of a thread for a certain amount of time. This is often achieved using the sleep() method of the Thread class. However, there are two ways to call this method: Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) and Thread.sleep(x). In this article, we will discuss the differences between these two ways of calling the Java sleep method.

Thread.currentThread().sleep(x)

The Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) method causes the current thread to sleep for the specified number of milliseconds. This method is called on the current thread object, which is obtained using the static method Thread.currentThread(). This means that if you call this method within a method of a class that extends the Thread class, it will cause the current thread to sleep, not the thread object represented by the class.

Thread.sleep(x)

The Thread.sleep(x) method also causes the current thread to sleep for the specified number of milliseconds. However, this method is called on the Thread class itself, not on a specific thread object. This means that if you call this method within a method of a class that extends the Thread class, it will cause the thread object represented by the class to sleep.

Differences

The main difference between Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) and Thread.sleep(x) is the object on which the method is called. Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) is called on the current thread object, while Thread.sleep(x) is called on the Thread class itself. This means that calling Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) within a method of a class that extends the Thread class will cause the current thread to sleep, not the thread object represented by the class.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) and Thread.sleep(x) can be used to delay the execution of a thread for a certain amount of time. However, Thread.currentThread().sleep(x) is called on the current thread object, while Thread.sleep(x) is called on the Thread class itself. It is important to use the appropriate method depending on the object on which it is called.