Java Training is one of the most popularly pursued programming languages among developers worldwide. Given the vast number of features Java offers programmers, not many are familiar with all the multi-platform language’s tools. Among the lesser talked-about features, Garbage Collection in Java is one of the more important ones.
As of 2019, Java was one of the most popular languages in use, according to Github, with approximately nine million developers using it around the globe. However, not many programmers are aware of the convenient concept of Garbage Collection in Java. In this blog, you will find out how the concept works in detail and how it could be used to the optimum by programmers.
Read this blog further to understand Garbage Collection in Java and how it can help make your job easier.
Table of Contents:
- What is Java?
- What is Garbage Collection in Java?
- How does a garbage collector work in Java?
- Conclusion
What is Java?
Before we delve deeper into discussing Garbage Collection in Java, here is a brief introduction to Java.
Java is a platform-independent, object-oriented and network-centric language. Sun Microsystems developed this language as a general programming language that allows programmers to write once and run everywhere (WORA).
Java’s platform independence, in layman’s terms, means that applications are compiled to ByteCode that can be compiled on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM) regardless of the computer’s architecture.
Java is a high-level, class-based language released in 1995, used as a fast, convenient and secure programming language for completing various tasks. However, certain methods make the programmer’s task all the easier, such as Garbage Collection in Java.
What is Garbage Collection in Java?
By definition, Garbage Collection in Java is an automated process that deletes unnecessary code, making the programmer’s task much more convenient. This feature in Java automatically frees up memory space and makes coding Java applications easier.
The “automatic” character of the language means that a developer does not have control over whether and when objects are deleted. This character of Java contrasts languages such as C and C++, which lets developers handle Garbage Collection manually.
However, manual Garbage Collection or memory management is a tedious process and slows down application development. But this is where Java’s automated version has a clear head start.
How does Garbage Collection in Java work?
The Garbage Collection process in Java is an automatic one. The automated process of removing unnecessary code stems from the collector looking for unused Java objects. The collector scans different parts of the heap and frees up memory by removing the objects with no references from elsewhere in the application. This process continues until all the unused objects are successfully removed.
Conclusion
The automatic process of Garbage Collection in Java is convenient, which eases effort and places it above a number of its competitors. If utilised to the optimal capacity, Garbage Collection is one of Java’s most convenient features that can aid the developer in freeing up memory as well as save time which would have otherwise been spent manually removing the unnecessary code.605
