Garbage collection

[Edward Lawrence]

Why isn't c3 eligible for garbage collection in the following question? Doesn't it equate to null after c1.go(c2) returns?

QUESTION: - When // doStuff is reached, how many objects are eligible for GC?

class CardBoard {
  Short story = 200;
  CardBoard go(CardBoard cb) {
    cb = null;
    return cb;
  }
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    CardBoard c1 = new CardBoard();
    CardBoard c2 = new CardBoard();
    CardBoard c3 = c1.go(c2);
    c1 = null;
    // do Stuff

[Campbell Ritchie]

Please always tell us where the question is from.

[Rob Spoor]

thread with the source

[Campbell Ritchie]

Thank you, Rob. I hadn't noticed the other thread.

[fred rosenberger]

c3 is a reference - it is never eligible for garbage collection.

on line 8, an object is created, and c1 is made to refer to it.
on line 9, an object is created, and c2 is made to refer to it.

on line 10, we call the go() method of c1, and pass in the reference to which the c2 reference points.

on line 3, the c1 reference variable now points to the same object as c2.
on line 4, the c2 reference variable now points to null, but c2 still points to the object.
on line 5, we return the value in c2, which is null...
so c3 points to null (back to line 10).

on line 11, c1 is made to point to null. Therefore object created on line 3 has no active references and is eligible for gc.
when we get to line 12, c2 still points to the object it originally did, so that object is NOT eligible for gc.

[Rob Spoor]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:Thank you, Rob. I hadn't noticed the other thread.

It was posted after your request for the source.

[Robert Darling]

Can you please explain the following lines

on line 10, we call the go() method of c1, and pass in the reference to which the c2 reference points.

on line 3, the c1 reference variable now points to the same object as c2.
on line 4, the c2 reference variable now points to null, but c2 still points to the object.

How does the c1 reference point to the same object as c2?

Kind Regards.

[Mohamed Sanaulla]

Trying to correct few things:

fred rosenberger wrote:on line 3, the c1 reference variable now points to the same object as c2.

cb and c2 both point to the object created in line 9

fred rosenberger wrote:on line 4, the c2 reference variable now points to null, but c2 still points to the object.

cb points to null, but c2 still points to the object created in line 9.

fred rosenberger wrote:on line 5, we return the value in c2, which is null...

We return the value in cb, which is null.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Rob Prime wrote:

Campbell Ritchie wrote:Thank you, Rob. I hadn't noticed the other thread.

It was posted after your request for the source.

Are you telling me I can't see a thread before it is posted??

[Campbell Ritchie]

mohamed sanaullah wrote: . . . We return the value in cb, which is null.

As fr as I can see, and you have already been told this, that reference has always pointed to null, so there has never been an object to delete from memory.

[Rob Spoor]

Campbell Ritchie wrote:

Rob Prime wrote:

Campbell Ritchie wrote:Thank you, Rob. I hadn't noticed the other thread.

It was posted after your request for the source.

Are you telling me I can't see a thread before it is posted??

Well, YOU might be able to

[Campbell Ritchie]

Rob Prime wrote: . . . Well, YOU might be able to

I knew you would say that