Using multiple copy threads

To transfer image files from digital camera storage to a computer application Photo Album Helper uses class com.lightdev.app.albumhelper.kernel.FileCopyDispatcher. This class by default drives a single instance of class FileCopyThread for the copy process of a single file.

The design of one dispatch thread driving another thread doing the actual copying allows to increase the number of parallel copy operations.

Increasing the number of parallel copy threads

To increase the number of parallel copy operations

  1. open file StartAction.java in package com.lightdev.app.albumhelper.action

  2. change line fcd.setMaximumThreadCount(1) in method doTransfer to another number of parallel copy threads

  3. recompile application Photo Album Helper

Class FileCopyDispatcher will initiate up to the given number of file copies at the same time and attempts to start additional copy threads as single copy threads end until all files are copied from a given incoming directory. This feature will be customizable through the preferences dialog in future versions of Photo Album Helper.

Please note: More than one parallel copy thread is an advantage for the total copy duration on machines with 'real' multithreading only, i.e. mainly machines with more than one processor or at least with multithreading capabilities built into the processor hardware/firmware architecture.

See also

Inside Photo Album Helper

Customizing file renaming

Transferring images

Copy images