io.grpc

Class Context

java.lang.Object

io.grpc.Context

Direct Known Subclasses:

Context.CancellableContext

public class Context
extends Object

A context propagation mechanism which can carry scoped-values across API boundaries and between threads. Examples of state propagated via context include:

• Security principals and credentials.
• Local and distributed tracing information.

Context objects make their state available by being attached to the executing thread using a ThreadLocal. The context object bound to a thread is considered current(). Context objects are immutable and inherit state from their parent. To add or overwrite the current state a new context object must be created and then attached to the thread replacing the previously bound context. For example:

   Context withCredential = Context.current().withValue(CRED_KEY, cred);
   executorService.execute(withCredential.wrap(new Runnable() {
     public void run() {
        readUserRecords(userId, CRED_KEY.get());
     }
   }));

 

Contexts are also used to represent a scoped unit of work. When the unit of work is done the context can be cancelled. This cancellation will also cascade to all descendant contexts. You can add a Context.CancellationListener to a context to be notified when it or one of its ancestors has been cancelled. Cancellation does not release the state stored by a context and it's perfectly valid to attach() an already cancelled context to a thread to make it current. To cancel a context (and its descendants) you first create a Context.CancellableContext and when you need to signal cancellation call Context.CancellableContext.cancel(java.lang.Throwable) or Context.CancellableContext.detachAndCancel(io.grpc.Context, java.lang.Throwable). For example:

   CancellableContext withCancellation = Context.current().withCancellation();
   try {
     executorService.execute(withCancellation.wrap(new Runnable() {
       public void run() {
         while (waitingForData() && !Context.current().isCancelled()) {}
       }
     });
     doSomeWork();
   } catch (Throwable t) {
      withCancellation.cancel(t);
   }
 

Contexts can also be created with a timeout relative to the system nano clock which will cause it to automatically cancel at the desired time.

Notes and cautions on use:

• While Context objects are immutable they do not place such a restriction on the state they store.
• Context is not intended for passing optional parameters to an API and developers should take care to avoid excessive dependence on context when designing an API.
• If Context is being used in an environment that needs to support class unloading it is the responsibility of the application to ensure that all contexts are properly cancelled.

Nested Class Summary

Nested Classes

Modifier and Type	Class and Description
static class	Context.CancellableContext A context which inherits cancellation from its parent but which can also be independently cancelled and which will propagate cancellation to its descendants.
static interface	Context.CancellationListener A listener notified on context cancellation.
static class	Context.Key<T> Key for indexing values stored in a context.

Field Summary

Fields

Modifier and Type	Field and Description
static Context	ROOT The logical root context which is current() if no other context is bound.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
void	addListener(Context.CancellationListener cancellationListener, Executor executor) Add a listener that will be notified when the context becomes cancelled.
Context	attach() Attach this context to the thread and make it current(), the previously current context is returned.
<V> V	call(Callable<V> c) Immediately call a Callable with this context as the current() context.
Throwable	cancellationCause() If a context isCancelled() then return the cause of the cancellation or null if context was cancelled without a cause.
static Context	current() Return the context associated with the current thread, will never return null as the ROOT context is implicitly associated with all threads.
static Executor	currentContextExecutor(Executor e) Create an executor that propagates the current() context when Executor.execute(java.lang.Runnable) is called as the current() context of the Runnable scheduled.
void	detach(Context toAttach) Detach the current context from the thread and attach the provided replacement.
Executor	fixedContextExecutor(Executor e) Wrap an Executor so that it always executes with this context as the current() context.
Context	fork() Create a new context which propagates the values of this context but does not cascade its cancellation.
Deadline	getDeadline() A context may have an associated Deadline at which it will be automatically cancelled.
boolean	isCancelled() Is this context cancelled.
static <T> Context.Key<T>	key(String name) Create a Context.Key with the given debug name.
static <T> Context.Key<T>	keyWithDefault(String name, T defaultValue) Create a Context.Key with the given debug name and default value.
void	removeListener(Context.CancellationListener cancellationListener) Remove a Context.CancellationListener.
void	run(Runnable r) Immediately run a Runnable with this context as the current() context.
Context.CancellableContext	withCancellation() Create a new context which is independently cancellable and also cascades cancellation from its parent.
Context.CancellableContext	withDeadline(Deadline deadline, ScheduledExecutorService scheduler) Create a new context which will cancel itself at the given Deadline.
Context.CancellableContext	withDeadlineAfter(long duration, TimeUnit unit, ScheduledExecutorService scheduler) Create a new context which will cancel itself after the given duration from now.
<V> Context	withValue(Context.Key<V> k1, V v1) Create a new context with the given key value set.
<V1,V2> Context	withValues(Context.Key<V1> k1, V1 v1, Context.Key<V2> k2, V2 v2) Create a new context with the given key value set.
<V1,V2,V3> Context	withValues(Context.Key<V1> k1, V1 v1, Context.Key<V2> k2, V2 v2, Context.Key<V3> k3, V3 v3) Create a new context with the given key value set.
<C> Callable<C>	wrap(Callable<C> c) Wrap a Callable so that it executes with this context as the current() context.
Runnable	wrap(Runnable r) Wrap a Runnable so that it executes with this context as the current() context.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

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

Field Detail

ROOT

public static final Context ROOT

The logical root context which is current() if no other context is bound. This context is not cancellable and so will not cascade cancellation or retain listeners.

Method Detail

key

public static <T> Context.Key<T> key(String name)

Create a Context.Key with the given debug name. Multiple different keys may have the same name; the name is intended for debugging purposes and does not impact behavior.

keyWithDefault

public static <T> Context.Key<T> keyWithDefault(String name,
                                                T defaultValue)

Create a Context.Key with the given debug name and default value. Multiple different keys may have the same name; the name is intended for debugging purposes and does not impact behavior.

current

public static Context current()

Return the context associated with the current thread, will never return null as the ROOT context is implicitly associated with all threads.

Will never return Context.CancellableContext even if one is attached, instead a Context is returned with the same properties and lifetime. This is to avoid code stealing the ability to cancel arbitrarily.

withCancellation

public Context.CancellableContext withCancellation()

Create a new context which is independently cancellable and also cascades cancellation from its parent. Callers should ensure that either Context.CancellableContext.cancel(Throwable) or Context.CancellableContext.detachAndCancel(Context, Throwable) are called to notify listeners and release the resources associated with them.

Sample usage:

   Context.CancellableContext withCancellation = Context.current().withCancellation();
   try {
     executorService.execute(withCancellation.wrap(new Runnable() {
       public void run() {
         Context current = Context.current();
         while (!current.isCancelled()) {
           keepWorking();
         }
       }
     });
     doSomethingRelatedWork();
   } catch (Throwable t) {
     withCancellation.cancel(t);
   }
 

withDeadlineAfter

public Context.CancellableContext withDeadlineAfter(long duration,
                                                    TimeUnit unit,
                                                    ScheduledExecutorService scheduler)

Create a new context which will cancel itself after the given duration from now. The returned context will cascade cancellation of its parent. Callers may explicitly cancel the returned context prior to the deadline just as for withCancellation(),

Sample usage:

   Context.CancellableContext withDeadline = Context.current().withDeadlineAfter(5,
       TimeUnit.SECONDS, scheduler);
   executorService.execute(withDeadline.wrap(new Runnable() {
     public void run() {
       Context current = Context.current();
       while (!current.isCancelled()) {
         keepWorking();
       }
     }
   });
 

withDeadline

public Context.CancellableContext withDeadline(Deadline deadline,
                                               ScheduledExecutorService scheduler)

Create a new context which will cancel itself at the given Deadline. The returned context will cascade cancellation of its parent. Callers may explicitly cancel the returned context prior to the deadline just as for withCancellation(),

Sample usage:

   Context.CancellableContext withDeadline = Context.current()
      .withDeadline(someReceivedDeadline);
   executorService.execute(withDeadline.wrap(new Runnable() {
     public void run() {
       Context current = Context.current();
       while (!current.isCancelled()) {
         keepWorking();
       }
     }
   });
 

withValue

public <V> Context withValue(Context.Key<V> k1,
                             V v1)

Create a new context with the given key value set. The new context will cascade cancellation from its parent.

   Context withCredential = Context.current().withValue(CRED_KEY, cred);
   executorService.execute(withCredential.wrap(new Runnable() {
     public void run() {
        readUserRecords(userId, CRED_KEY.get());
     }
   }));
 

withValues

public <V1,V2> Context withValues(Context.Key<V1> k1,
                                  V1 v1,
                                  Context.Key<V2> k2,
                                  V2 v2)

Create a new context with the given key value set. The new context will cascade cancellation from its parent.

withValues

public <V1,V2,V3> Context withValues(Context.Key<V1> k1,
                                     V1 v1,
                                     Context.Key<V2> k2,
                                     V2 v2,
                                     Context.Key<V3> k3,
                                     V3 v3)

Create a new context with the given key value set. The new context will cascade cancellation from its parent.

fork

public Context fork()

Create a new context which propagates the values of this context but does not cascade its cancellation.

attach

public Context attach()

Attach this context to the thread and make it current(), the previously current context is returned. It is allowed to attach contexts where isCancelled() is true.

Instead of using attach() & detach(Context) most use-cases are better served by using the run(Runnable) or call(java.util.concurrent.Callable) to execute work immediately within a context. If work needs to be done in other threads it is recommended to use the 'wrap' methods or to use a propagating executor.

detach

public void detach(Context toAttach)

Detach the current context from the thread and attach the provided replacement. If this context is not current() a SEVERE message will be logged but the context to attach will still be bound.

isCancelled

public boolean isCancelled()

Is this context cancelled.

cancellationCause

public Throwable cancellationCause()

If a context isCancelled() then return the cause of the cancellation or null if context was cancelled without a cause. If the context is not yet cancelled will always return null.

The cancellation cause is provided for informational purposes only and implementations should generally assume that it has already been handled and logged properly.

getDeadline

public Deadline getDeadline()

A context may have an associated Deadline at which it will be automatically cancelled.

Returns:

A Deadline or null if no deadline is set.

addListener

public void addListener(Context.CancellationListener cancellationListener,
                        Executor executor)

Add a listener that will be notified when the context becomes cancelled.

removeListener

public void removeListener(Context.CancellationListener cancellationListener)

Remove a Context.CancellationListener.

run

public void run(Runnable r)

Immediately run a Runnable with this context as the current() context.

Parameters:

r - Runnable to run.

call

public <V> V call(Callable<V> c)
           throws Exception

Immediately call a Callable with this context as the current() context.

Parameters:

c - Callable to call.

Returns:

result of call.

Throws:

Exception

wrap

public Runnable wrap(Runnable r)

Wrap a Runnable so that it executes with this context as the current() context.

wrap

public <C> Callable<C> wrap(Callable<C> c)

Wrap a Callable so that it executes with this context as the current() context.

fixedContextExecutor

public Executor fixedContextExecutor(Executor e)

Wrap an Executor so that it always executes with this context as the current() context. It is generally expected that currentContextExecutor(Executor) would be used more commonly than this method.

One scenario in which this executor may be useful is when a single thread is sharding work to multiple threads.

See Also:

currentContextExecutor(Executor)

currentContextExecutor

public static Executor currentContextExecutor(Executor e)

Create an executor that propagates the current() context when Executor.execute(java.lang.Runnable) is called as the current() context of the Runnable scheduled. Note that this is a static method.

See Also:

fixedContextExecutor(Executor)