Mutual Exclusion

• locks

• synchronized

• Atomic

Which to use

• In general, if you're using Java, synchronized statements and methods are easier to program with than locks.

• And they can prevent many common pit falls that can occur when using locks.

• So, if synchronized methods or statements will work for your needs, they're a good default option.

• That said, there may be times when you need to work with locks in more complex ways, perhaps acquiring and releasing a series of locks in a nested or hand over hand manner, and that's not possible with a synchronized statement,

• but locks do allow more flexibility to be acquired and released in different scopes and to be acquired and released in any order.

• But with that increased flexibility, comes additional responsibility