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Garbage Collection doubt from www.danchisholm.net

 
Greenhorn
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Hi friends,

Can you please help me with this question

class B {
private String name;
public B(String name) {this.name = name;}
public String toString() {return name;}
protected void finalize() {System.out.print(name);}
}
class H {
static B ba = new B("Ba");
static int i = 1;
static B m1(B b) {return b = new B("B" + i++);}
public static void main (String[] args) {
B x = m1(ba); m1(x);
System.out.println(", " + ba + ", " + x);
}}

Which of the following could be a result of attempting to compile and run the program?
a. Ba, B1, B2
b. B1, Ba, B2
c. , Ba, B1
d. B2, Ba, B1
e. BaB1b2, null, null
f. B1B2, ba, null


Correct answer is C and D, i.e , Ba, B1 B2, Ba, B1
The author assumes that the Garbage collector runs after m1(x) returns, even if it runs why does the gc collect the object in the order B2, Ba, B1 ? AS far as i know order cannot be guaranteed. so after ,Ba, B1, any of the options a,b,d can occur...

Can you please reply if my understanding is correct.
You can find the question(Q9) here http://www.danchisholm.net/oct1/mybook/chapter16/exam1.html
and the answers here http://www.danchisholm.net/oct1/mybook/chapter16/exam1ans.html

Thanks and regards,
Srikanth
 
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Posts: 1032
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Welcome to the ranch!

The GC will never garbage collect ba or x. It might possibly collect the B object created during the invocation of m1(x), and that object has an String attribute name with the value "B2".

The possible outputs are only:

B2, Ba, B1 // If the object created in m1(x) is garbage collected before the System.out.println completes
, Ba, B1 // If the object created in m1(x) is not garbage collected

I think this output is also possible, but very unlikely:

, Ba, B1B2 // If the object created in m1(x) is garbage collected after System.out.println completes, before main returns
 
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