Java FAQ: Top Questions

The volatile keyword in Java ensures a variable’s visibility across threads, preventing thread-local caching. It’s used in multithreaded programming for lightweight synchronization.

• Visibility: Changes to a volatile variable are immediately visible to all threads.
• No Atomicity: Does not guarantee atomic operations (e.g., increment).
• Use Case: Flags or status variables in multithreading (e.g., stopping a thread).
• Performance: Less overhead than synchronized but limited scope.