Question

What is garbage collection in the context of Java?

(a) The operating system periodically deletes all the java files available on the system.
(b) Any package imported in a program and not used is automatically deleted.
(c) When all references to an object are gone, the memory used by the object is automatically reclaimed.
(d) The JVM checks the output of any Java program and deletes anything that doesn't make sense.
(e) Janitors working for Sun Micro Systems are required to throw away any Microsoft documentation found in the employees' offices.

Answer 1

Garbage collection in Java automatically reclaims memory used by objects that are no longer referenced by the program.

Step-by-step explanation:

Garbage collection in the context of Java refers to the automatic process of reclaiming memory that is no longer in use by an object. In Java, objects are dynamically allocated memory, and the garbage collector automatically identifies and frees up memory space occupied by objects that are no longer needed.

When all references to an object are gone, meaning the object is no longer accessible in the program, the garbage collector will automatically deallocate the memory used by the object. This helps prevent memory leaks and ensures efficient memory usage.

For example, if you create an object but no longer reference it in your code, the garbage collector will eventually detect this and free up the memory occupied by that object.