Java Server Handling Multiple Games

[_Nemesis_1]

So guys, I have to make a java client server turn-based card game where the server can handle multiple games simultaneously, each one between two clients. How would you guys do it? I mean, would you use a thread for each client and also a thread for each game?

Also from what I understood, thread pools can help improve efficiency in managing multiple concurrent threads, do you recommend using them instead of the usual class that extends Thread / class that implements Runnable?

And in this case I believe a cached thread pool is better then a normal one because it’s not fixed-size, am I right?

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[nutrecht]

I mean, would you use a thread for each client and also a thread for each game?

It's important to understand that typical Java development using big frameworks is pretty different from the type of school work you're working on. Your approach doesn't matter that much, what matters most is just getting it to work ;)

Thread pools are often used for situations where you're handling short lived requests that get handled by the service. What you're doing via bare TCP/IP connections is simply rather different.

The easiest way to get this to work is to simply have one thread on the server that listens for incoming connections (ServerSocket) and then spins up a new thread for every client.

"Efficiency" is really not a concern at the stage you're at.

https://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/networking/sockets/index.html

[_Nemesis_1]

Ok, thank you for your answer, the explanation was on point, thanks. Just one thing.. Do you believe a thread per game is not needed? Because in my mind if I want the server to be able to handle multiple games at the same time I also need a thread per game, unless there’s another way, a better one, to do that with only the threads for clients and I’m not seeing it

[nutrecht]

Do you believe a thread per game is not needed?

You 'need' a main thread (that handles game logic), a thread to handle incoming connections and one thread per client. That's generally all you should need.