Java Creating a new ObjectInputStream Blocks

Question

I'm trying to create a new ObjectInputStream using an InputStream retrieved from a Socket. Here is my code:

This is the constructor for my MessageGetterSender class. The program does not get to Checkpoint 4.

public MessageGetterSender(Socket socket) {

    System.out.println("MessageGetterSender: Checkpoint 1");

    this.socket = socket;

    // Get input and output streams
    try {
        System.out.println("MessageGetterSender: Checkpoint 2");

        InputStream is = socket.getInputStream();

        System.out.println("MessageGetterSender: Checkpoint 3");

        this.in = new ObjectInputStream(is);

        System.out.println("MessageGetterSender: Checkpoint 4");

    } catch (IOException ioe) {
        System.out.println("Could not get ObjectInputStream on socket: " + socket.getLocalPort());
    }

    try {
        this.out = new ObjectOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
    } catch (IOException ioe) {
        System.out.println("Could not get ObjectOutputStream on socket: " + socket.getLocalPort());
    }

    System.out.println("MessageGetterSender: Checkpoint 5");
}

I'm instantiating a new MessageGetterSender object from a class in which I connect to a server to get the socket. Here is the relevant code. It is the constructor for the InstantMessageClass, the class that instantiates the MessageGetterSender object:

public InstantMessageClient(String username) {

try {
    socket = new Socket("localhost", 5555);
} catch (IOException ioe) {
    System.out.println("Error: Could not connect to socket on port: " + serverPort);
}

messageGetterSender = new MessageGetterSender(socket);

...

Since the code does not execute to Checkpoint 4 but it does get to Checkpoint 3, I'm pretty sure the instantiation of the ObjectInputStream is the culprit. I cannot figure out why though. Any ideas? Thanks for the help.

Haywood Slap Haywood Slap · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-28T15:56:22

Just to expand on FatGuy's answer for other Googlers that find this; the solution to this "chicken and egg problem" is to have each side open the output stream first, flush the output stream, and then open the input stream.

ObjectOutputStream out = new ObjectOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
out.flush();
ObjectInputStream in = new ObjectInputStream(socket.getInputStream());

Java Creating a new ObjectInputStream Blocks

3 Answers