org.apache.commons.io
Class FileCleaningTracker

java.lang.Object
  org.apache.commons.io.FileCleaningTracker

public class FileCleaningTracker
extends Object

Keeps track of files awaiting deletion, and deletes them when an associated marker object is reclaimed by the garbage collector.

This utility creates a background thread to handle file deletion. Each file to be deleted is registered with a handler object. When the handler object is garbage collected, the file is deleted.

In an environment with multiple class loaders (a servlet container, for example), you should consider stopping the background thread if it is no longer needed. This is done by invoking the method exitWhenFinished, typically in javax.servlet.ServletContextListener#contextDestroyed or similar.

Version:

$Id: FileCleaner.java 490987 2006-12-29 12:11:48Z scolebourne $

Author:

Noel Bergman, Martin Cooper

Constructor Summary

FileCleaningTracker()

Method Summary

void	exitWhenFinished() Call this method to cause the file cleaner thread to terminate when there are no more objects being tracked for deletion.
int	getTrackCount() Retrieve the number of files currently being tracked, and therefore awaiting deletion.
void	track(File file, Object marker) Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected.
void	track(File file, Object marker, FileDeleteStrategy deleteStrategy) Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected.
void	track(String path, Object marker) Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected.
void	track(String path, Object marker, FileDeleteStrategy deleteStrategy) Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

FileCleaningTracker

public FileCleaningTracker()

Method Detail

track

public void track(File file,
                  Object marker)

Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected. The normal deletion strategy will be used.

Parameters:

file - the file to be tracked, not null

marker - the marker object used to track the file, not null

Throws:

NullPointerException - if the file is null

track

public void track(File file,
                  Object marker,
                  FileDeleteStrategy deleteStrategy)

Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected. The speified deletion strategy is used.

Parameters:

file - the file to be tracked, not null

marker - the marker object used to track the file, not null

deleteStrategy - the strategy to delete the file, null means normal

Throws:

NullPointerException - if the file is null

track

public void track(String path,
                  Object marker)

Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected. The normal deletion strategy will be used.

Parameters:

path - the full path to the file to be tracked, not null

marker - the marker object used to track the file, not null

Throws:

NullPointerException - if the path is null

track

public void track(String path,
                  Object marker,
                  FileDeleteStrategy deleteStrategy)

Track the specified file, using the provided marker, deleting the file when the marker instance is garbage collected. The speified deletion strategy is used.

Parameters:

path - the full path to the file to be tracked, not null

marker - the marker object used to track the file, not null

deleteStrategy - the strategy to delete the file, null means normal

Throws:

NullPointerException - if the path is null

getTrackCount

public int getTrackCount()

Retrieve the number of files currently being tracked, and therefore awaiting deletion.

Returns:

the number of files being tracked

exitWhenFinished

public void exitWhenFinished()

Call this method to cause the file cleaner thread to terminate when there are no more objects being tracked for deletion.

In a simple environment, you don't need this method as the file cleaner thread will simply exit when the JVM exits. In a more complex environment, with multiple class loaders (such as an application server), you should be aware that the file cleaner thread will continue running even if the class loader it was started from terminates. This can consitute a memory leak.

For example, suppose that you have developed a web application, which contains the commons-io jar file in your WEB-INF/lib directory. In other words, the FileCleaner class is loaded through the class loader of your web application. If the web application is terminated, but the servlet container is still running, then the file cleaner thread will still exist, posing a memory leak.

This method allows the thread to be terminated. Simply call this method in the resource cleanup code, such as javax.servlet.ServletContextListener#contextDestroyed. One called, no new objects can be tracked by the file cleaner.