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Question about Garbage Collection

 
Greenhorn
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How many objects are candidates for garbage collection by the end of the following code sinppet:
1.String s = "Hello";
2.s = "Hello" + " World";
3.System.out.println(s.toUpperCase());
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) none

This answer is B.
Can somebody explain why? Thanks
 
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Originally posted by Jo Liang:
How many objects are candidates for garbage collection by the end of the following code sinppet:
1.String s = "Hello"; //1
2.s = "Hello" + " World";//2
3.System.out.println(s.toUpperCase());//3
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) none

This answer is B.
Can somebody explain why? Thanks


Hello Jo,
I think the answer shd be 'a' ie. only 1 object...
Have a look at code sequence...(to which i have given number)
1. at line 1, String literal "Hello" is created in literal pool
2. at line 2 Compiler sees that "Hello" is already present in literal pool. so it doesn't create it. Only String literal"World" is created
in pool
Now at runtime, because + operator, a string object is created on heap. ie. String object containing "HelloWorld"
3. Now at line 3, because of function toUpperCase() new string object containing "HELLOWORL" is created.
Now s is refering to the above object . so the previous object (containing "Hello World") is unreferenced now. so it can be garbage
collected.
Here 2 obejct in string pool and 2 in heap r created. and s refers to one of the heap object
so only one remains for garbage collection. String literals r never garbage collected.
Correct me if i am wrong
 
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Well, given the information in the assignment, this is just a snippet, so the code doesn't end there. That means that the text "HelloWorld" still has a reference to it. However, the "Hello", and the uppercase of "HelloWorld" does not (we're only printing the uppercase version, not changing any references. Remember: String is imutable).
/Mike
 
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hi,Mike...
i agree with u but one more question:
what about the "world" obj?
i think it also should be gc.
am i right?
 
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Hi all,,,
simoen u r perfevtly all right.....
------------------
Muhammad Hussain
 
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Are they really garbage collected.
They are String literals and according to our discussion String literals are not garbage collected.
So my ans would be none.
Please correct me
-Neha
 
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2 is the correct answer because:
s = "Hello" + " World"; is going to create a new String dynamically and s.toUpperCase as well. So we end up with to dynamically created Strings which are to be gced !
HIH
------------------
Valentin Crettaz
Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Platform
 
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String literals are not garbage collected.
"hello" + "world" is computed at compile time because is a constant as defined by JLS 15.28. So is not garbage collected either. Yes the string retuned by to UpperCase is ready for collection.
Many mocks doesn't actually take into account the fact that String literals are not g.c.ed . Just try answering as if they were normal String. In the exam I don't think we will be asked for the collection of String literals.
Use a WeakReference object in case you are interested in checking that String literals are not g.c.ed . Search the Ranch for my name and you will see previous examples.
 
Neha Sawant
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then the answer will be A.
Since s.toUppercase() has no reference it will be gced.
Am i right
-neha
 
Valentin Crettaz
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Sorry! Jose is right
s = "Hello" + " World"; is a compile-time constant and thus is not gced...
my mistake!
------------------
Valentin Crettaz
Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Platform
 
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Originally posted by Jose Botella:
String literals are not garbage collected.
"hello" + "world" is computed at compile time because is a constant as defined by JLS 15.28. So is not garbage collected either. Yes the string retuned by to UpperCase is ready for collection.
Many mocks doesn't actually take into account the fact that String literals are not g.c.ed . Just try answering as if they were normal String. In the exam I don't think we will be asked for the collection of String literals.
Use a WeakReference object in case you are interested in checking that String literals are not g.c.ed . Search the Ranch for my name and you will see previous examples.


Perfect , i agree with Jose
 
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