Q.31 from John Hunt

[Punitha krishna]

In the following code, which is the earliest statement, where the object originally held in e, may be garbage collected:

public class Test {
public static void main (String args []) {
Employee e = new Employee("Bob", 48);
e.calculatePay();
System.out.println(e.printDetails());
e = null;
e = new Employee("Denise", 36);
e.calculatePay();
System.out.println(e.printDetails());
}
}

A.Line 10
B.Line 11
C.Line 7
D.Line 8
E.Never
Select the most appropriate answer.
The correct answer to this question is C which is line 7 but I thought it was line 6, because when you say e=null it is ready to be garbage collected???

[Sudhir Bangera]

I think the answer is line 7 because in line 6 the assignment takes place "e = null;" and when this is completed, you are already in line 7. I would also presume that the answer would be line 7 even if we do not have the next assignment statement for e in line 7.
Feel free to correct me if my presumptions are incorrect....

[rob moreland]

Sounds right. The line makes the old object unreachable. After that it is collected when ever the GC gets around to it.
And Sudhir Bangera is right, whats on line 7 really doesn't effect the when it could be GCed.