SocketChannels, Selectors, Iterators and ConcurrentModificationExceptions, oh my.

From:
Frank van Schie <frankNOSPAM@email.it>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.java.help
Date:
Fri, 19 May 2006 22:44:11 +0200
Message-ID:
<3ImdnVbOE6mHs_PZnZ2dnUVZ8qadnZ2d@casema.nl>
[Note: Reposted my question from comp.lang.java. This group is more
appropriate, not to mention more active.]

Hi there,

I'm trying to make an instant messaging connection library that's rather
sparse with Threads, due to it being meant for a transport for XMPP.
Most libraries out there create a Thread for damn near everything that's
going on, so I'm writing my own.

I'm running into a bit of trouble with my Selector, which I periodically
poll from the lone Thread I have so far. If I have just one
SocketChannel registered, I have no problems, and the thing connects
fine and receives all the input it should. If I have two connections
open at the same time, then when I get my SelectionKey iterator and hit
'next()', it blows up with a java.util.ConcurrentModificationException.

While the iterator can throw the Exception if there is even the chance
of the iterator's underlying data being modified, I am confused by this
not being a problem if I only have the single channel open. I have
checked and verified that I am not accidentally starting two Threads
(and even so, wouldn't the synchronization on the iterator be sufficient
to satify it?)

I'm not experienced at all with socket programming in general, and
java.nio.* in particular, so I wonder if anyone here could shed some light?

Some code from my manager Thread's run method:

public void run()
{
   [...]
   while(!stopped)
   {
     this.selector.selectNow();
     Iterator<SelectionKey> selectionKeyIterator =
                                  selector.selectedKeys().iterator();
     synchronized(selectionKeyIterator)
     {
       SelectionKey selectionKey = null;
       while(selectionKeyIterator.hasNext())
       {
         selectionKey = selectionKeyIterator.next(); // This goes BOOM.
         selectionKeyIterator.remove();
         /**
          * Verify that the key is valid, get the socketchannel from the
          * key, get my connection object, have it read the data, send it
          * for processing by a 'listener' of sorts, etc...
       }
     }

     Thread.sleep(50); // Complete with try/catch, natch.
   }
}

--
Frank

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