A question about blocking IO

Question

This sample code doesn't work. One thread waits for user input, and I was hoping to have another thread interrupt the first thread so that it would stop waiting for user input and continue processing. I think the problem is that the readLine() method in BufferedReader synchronizes on the reader's lock object. close() also synchronizes on the lock object, which creates a sort of deadlock that can only be resolved by pressing enter on the keyboard.
This seems like a common situation, so I'm guessing it has a simple answer that just hasn't occurred to me yet.
import java.io.*;
public class testMain extends Thread
     BufferedReader m_in;
     public static void main(String[] args)
          new testMain();
     testMain()
          start();
          try {
               m_in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
               System.out.println("reading");
               String stuff = m_in.readLine();
          catch (IOException ex) {
               ex.printStackTrace();
          finally {
               System.out.println("read done");
     public void run()
          try {
               Thread.sleep(1000);
               System.out.println("closing");
               m_in.close();
          catch (Exception ex) {
               ex.printStackTrace();
          finally {
               System.out.println("close done");
}

Answer 1

If I were you I would not put the main logic in the
constructor. That just seems like a problem waiting
to happen.
Why don't you try making a method that you call after
constructing the object, that does the work you're
currently doing in it?It was just for illustration. But if you'd rather...
import java.io.*;
public class testMain extends Thread
     BufferedReader m_in;
     public static void main(String[] args)
          new testMain().workDamnYou();
     testMain()
          m_in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
     private void workDamnYou()
          start();
          try {
               System.out.println("reading");
               String stuff = m_in.readLine();
          catch (IOException ex) {
               ex.printStackTrace();
          finally {
               System.out.println("read done");
     public void run()
          try {
               Thread.sleep(1000);
               System.out.println("closing");
               m_in.close();
          catch (Exception ex) {
               ex.printStackTrace();
          finally {
               System.out.println("close done");
}Better code. Same result.