Java Array Destroy

Question

If I use "Array_Name[] = NULL", does the garbage collector of java collect the rest of the array?

Minor point: by Array_Name[] = NULL you mean Array_Name = null, right? — user541686
– user541686, Commented Dec 28, 2010 at 2:30
Really should be arrayName = null ... style is important too. — Stephen C
– Stephen C, Commented Dec 28, 2010 at 2:32

Dan Breslau · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-28 02:27:32Z

13

Only if Array_Name had actually been referencing an array to begin with. And only if there are no other references to the array. And it will reclaim only those elements of the array which aren't referenced by anything outside of the array. And it will only do so when it feels like getting around to it :-)

(The syntax Array_Name[] = NULL isn't really meaningful. But I'm assuming you'd done something like:

 Foo[] Array_Name = new Foo[n];
 //...
 Array_Name = null; // Note the lowercase "null"

This might make the array a proper target for garbage collection, given the conditions I described above.)

answered Dec 28, 2010 at 2:27

Dan Breslau

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1 Comment

user166390 Over a year ago

+1 ...it will only do so when it feels like getting around to it... (That is, the GC is largely non-deterministic -- from the point of Java code -- when it runs.)

Tyler · Accepted Answer · 2010-12-28 02:53:51Z

2

I agree with everything Dan mentioned above but you can actually trigger garbage collection manually by calling System.gc(). Of course as mentioned this will only collect objects that are no longer referenced by anything else.

answered Dec 28, 2010 at 2:53

Tyler

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2 Comments

Michael Aaron Safyan Over a year ago

You might want to mention that calling System.gc() is highly discouraged.

Tyler Over a year ago

I agree, I'm just presenting the option.

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