Garbage Collection Concepts

Understanding garbage collection is crucial for efficient memory management in Java applications.

Introduction

Garbage collection is an automatic process that reclaims memory occupied by objects that are no longer in use. It prevents memory leaks and improves application performance.

How it Works

The Java garbage collector manages the lifecycle of objects, tracking their allocation and deallocation.

It employs various algorithms to identify objects that are no longer needed and automatically reclaim their memory.

Key Concepts

Objects: Instances of classes that contain data and methods.

Garbage Collectors: Processes that manage object lifetimes.

Recycling: Releasing memory occupied by objects.

Types of Garbage Collectors

There are different garbage collection strategies, each with its strengths and weaknesses.