How can you use multiple stream types with one socket?

Question

Hi,
I'm working on a large program that currently uses Object Input/Output streams for all of the messaging in a client/server application. This works fine except when files need to be transferred. In many cases using a Object stream to send a file can be 30 times slower than using a Buffered input/output stream. I've found I can combined the two. Here are some code snippets to give you a basic idea of what's happening...
BufferedInputStream bis = new BufferedInputStream( serverSocket.getInputStream( ) );
ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream( serverSocket.getInputStream( ) );
//this code runs on a thread on the server
while( true ){
switch( whichKindOfStreamUsedNext ){
case OBJECT_STREAM:
Object object = ois.readObject( );
doSomethingWithObject( object );
break;
case BUFFERED_STREAM:
readFromBuffer( bis );
break;
Obviously there is a lot missing here. Basically the variable whichKindOfStreamUsedNext is changed in the methods doSomethingWithObject( ) and readFromBuffer depending on what the current state of the server is and what is passed to these methods from the client.
Here is the problem. If readFromBuffer( ) does a very small task and the client sends an object through an object stream everything is okay. I've switched whichKindOfStreamUsedNext = OBJECT_STREAM before that point and by the time the client sends the object the server is waiting on Object object = ois.readObject( );. However if the method readFromBuffer( ) does a very time intensive task and it takes a while to return and meanwhile the client sends an object then the server never gets that object. Does anyone have an easy solution to this problem. (Changing the whole program to just using BufferedStreams is not a solution).
Thanks.

Answer 1

Thanks a lot for the response.
I guess I didn't realize I could do that.
I changed how I am doing the program anyways. Sending flags to switch streams was a little messy. but now I have a new problem. I've discovered that mixing object streams with buffered streams also leads to significant speed increases. I do that in this manner...
int ONE_MEG = 1024*1024;
ObjectInputStream ois = new ObjectInputStream( new BufferedInputStream( socket.getInputStream( ), ONE_MEG ) );
and I do the same thing for the ObjectOutputStream. It works very well when I just set up the client's output stream and the servers input stream in this manner. Upload times are increased from 60 seconds to 2-5 seconds.
Unfortunately when I try to do the same thing with the servers output stream and the clients input stream to speed up downloads I get deadlock! As soon as the socket connection is opened and I try to set up the streams in this manner I get deadlock. Does anyone have any idea why this occurs and what I can do to fix it?