How does Java handle memory with garbage collection?

Java handles memory management through an automatic process known as garbage collection (GC), which is designed to automatically reclaim memory used by objects that are no longer referenced in a program. This ensures efficient memory usage, freeing developers from the manual task of deallocating memory, which is common in languages like C and C++.

How Garbage Collection Works in Java
In Java, objects are created in the heap memory, which is a region of memory allocated for dynamic memory allocation. When an object is no longer referenced by any active part of the program, it becomes eligible for garbage collection. The garbage collector identifies these unreachable objects and reclaims the memory, making it available for future allocations.

Java’s garbage collection is primarily performed by the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) in the background, but developers can control certain aspects of GC behavior. The JVM uses several garbage collection algorithms, including:

Mark-and-Sweep: This is the simplest form of garbage collection, where the collector first marks all the objects that are still reachable, and then sweeps through the memory to remove those that are no longer marked.

Generational Garbage Collection: Java divides the heap into young, old, and permanent generations. Objects are initially allocated in the young generation, where they are frequently collected. Long-lived objects eventually move to the old generation.

Automatic Memory Management: The garbage collector runs in the background and performs periodic checks to determine whether any objects in the heap are no longer referenced. When this happens, the GC reclaims the space.

This automatic memory management helps Java applications avoid memory leaks and optimize system performance, though developers can still intervene by manually invoking the garbage collector if necessary.

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