下面是一个示例，用于测试在jvm由于不存在用户线程而退出时守护线程的行为。

请注意下面输出的倒数第二行，当主线程退出时，守护线程也死了，并且没有在finally块中打印finally executed9语句。这意味着如果由于不存在用户线程而导致JVM退出，守护线程finally块内关闭的任何i/o资源都不会被关闭。

public class DeamonTreadExample {

public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {

    Thread t = new Thread(() -> {
        int count = 0;
        while (true) {
            count++;
            try {
                System.out.println("inside try"+ count);
                Thread.currentThread().sleep(1000);
            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                e.printStackTrace();
            } finally {
                System.out.println("finally executed"+ count);
            }
        }
    });
    t.setDaemon(true);
    t.start();

    Thread.currentThread().sleep(10000);
    System.out.println("main thread exited");
  }
}

输出

inside try1
finally executed1
inside try2
finally executed2
inside try3
finally executed3
inside try4
finally executed4
inside try5
finally executed5
inside try6
finally executed6
inside try7
finally executed7
inside try8
finally executed8
inside try9
finally executed9
inside try10
main thread exited

让我们只讨论工作示例中的代码。我喜欢russ上面的回答，但为了消除我的疑虑，我稍微加强了一下。我运行了两次，一次工作线程设置为deamon true (deamon线程)，另一次设置为false(用户线程)。它确认守护线程在主线程结束时结束。

public class DeamonThreadTest {

public static void main(String[] args) {

    new WorkerThread(false).start();    //set it to true and false and run twice.

    try {
        Thread.sleep(7500);
    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
        // handle here exception
    }

    System.out.println("Main Thread ending");
    }
   }

   class WorkerThread extends Thread {

    boolean isDeamon;

    public WorkerThread(boolean isDeamon) {
        // When false, (i.e. when it's a user thread),
        // the Worker thread continues to run.
        // When true, (i.e. when it's a daemon thread),
        // the Worker thread terminates when the main
        // thread terminates.
        this.isDeamon = isDeamon;
        setDaemon(isDeamon);
    }

    public void run() {
        System.out.println("I am a " + (isDeamon ? "Deamon Thread" : "User Thread (none-deamon)"));

        int counter = 0;

        while (counter < 10) {
            counter++;
            System.out.println("\tworking from Worker thread " + counter++);

            try {
                sleep(5000);
            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                // handle exception here
            }
        }
        System.out.println("\tWorker thread ends. ");
    }
}



result when setDeamon(true)
=====================================
I am a Deamon Thread
    working from Worker thread 0
    working from Worker thread 1
Main Thread ending

Process finished with exit code 0


result when setDeamon(false)
=====================================
I am a User Thread (none-deamon)
    working from Worker thread 0
    working from Worker thread 1
Main Thread ending
    working from Worker thread 2
    working from Worker thread 3
    working from Worker thread 4
    working from Worker thread 5
    working from Worker thread 6
    working from Worker thread 7
    working from Worker thread 8
    working from Worker thread 9
    Worker thread ends. 

Process finished with exit code 0

守护线程就像一个普通的线程，除了JVM只会在其他非守护线程不存在时关闭。守护进程线程通常用于为应用程序执行服务。

守护线程是在程序完成但线程仍在运行时不阻止JVM退出的线程。守护进程线程的一个例子是垃圾收集。

您可以使用setDaemon(boolean)方法在线程启动之前更改线程守护进程属性。

Java守护线程

(守护进程)

Java使用用户线程和守护进程线程概念。

JVM流

1. If there are no `user treads` JVM starts terminating the program
2. JVM terminates all `daemon threads` automatically without waiting when they are done
3. JVM is shutdown

正如你所看到的，守护线程是用户线程的服务线程。

守护线程是低优先级线程。 线程从父线程继承它的属性。要从外部设置它，你可以在启动它之前使用setDaemon()方法或通过isDaemon()检查它

守护线程就像一个服务提供者，为运行在与守护线程相同进程中的其他线程或对象提供服务。守护线程用于后台支持任务，只有在正常线程执行时才需要守护线程。如果正常线程不运行，其余线程是守护线程，则解释器退出。

例如，HotJava浏览器使用最多4个名为“Image Fetcher”的守护线程从文件系统或网络中为任何需要的线程获取图像。

守护线程通常用于为应用程序/applet执行服务(例如加载“fiddley bits”)。用户线程和守护线程之间的核心区别在于，JVM只会在所有用户线程都终止时关闭程序。当不再有任何用户线程在运行(包括执行主线程)时，守护线程将由JVM终止。

setDaemon(真/假)?此方法用于指定一个线程是守护线程。

公共boolean isDaemon() ?此方法用于确定线程是否是守护线程。

Eg:

public class DaemonThread extends Thread {
    public void run() {
        System.out.println("Entering run method");

        try {
            System.out.println("In run Method: currentThread() is" + Thread.currentThread());

            while (true) {
                try {
                    Thread.sleep(500);
                } catch (InterruptedException x) {}

                System.out.println("In run method: woke up again");
            }
        } finally {
            System.out.println("Leaving run Method");
        }
    }
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Entering main Method");

        DaemonThread t = new DaemonThread();
        t.setDaemon(true);
        t.start();

        try {
            Thread.sleep(3000);
        } catch (InterruptedException x) {}

        System.out.println("Leaving main method");
    }

}

输出:

C:\java\thread>javac DaemonThread.java

C:\java\thread>java DaemonThread
Entering main Method
Entering run method
In run Method: currentThread() isThread[Thread-0,5,main]
In run method: woke up again
In run method: woke up again
In run method: woke up again
In run method: woke up again
In run method: woke up again
In run method: woke up again
Leaving main method

C:\j2se6\thread>