java - Is using Object.wait and Object.notify directly a code smell?

Question

This might be controversial, but I just realized I very seldom use wait and notify directly. Instead, I use some higher-level construct from the java.util.concurrent package. Are there use cases where wait and notify are the only solution or should they only be used when building higher-level constructs?

Answer 1

From my POV, you are absolutely right : it's far better to use higher-order constructs like the ones from java.util.concurrent. The wait/notify system is error-prone, low-level, and has issues (like missed signals - the "notifier" emits the signal before the "waiter" calls wait()).

So, I cannot see any case where using wait/notify would be better. Except if you're stuck with Java pre-1.5 of course.