Java Memory Management

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Questions and Answers

In which programming language does the programmer have explicit control over memory management, including creating and destroying objects?

  • JavaScript
  • Java
  • C++ (correct)
  • Python

In Java, primitive variables are stored in the heap.

False (B)

What is a stack frame in Java?

A memory area allocated when a method is called.

In Java, objects are primarily stored in the _______, while references to these objects are stored in the stack.

<p>heap</p>
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What is the output of the following Java code snippet? int age = 5; int other = 15; System.out.println(other);

<p><code>15</code> (C)</p>
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When a method is called in Java, a new copy of all variables is created in the stack frame.

<p>True (A)</p>
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In Java, if a primitive variable is passed to a function and modified inside that function, does the original variable's value change after the function call?

<p>no</p>
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When a primitive variable is passed into a method in Java, the method receives a _______ of the variable's value.

<p>copy</p>
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Consider the following Java code: `public static void change(int age) { age = 9; }

public static void main(String[] args) { int age = 5; change(age); System.out.println(age); }` What is the output?

<p><code>5</code> (B)</p>
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When an object is created in Java, it is stored directly in the stack.

<p>False (B)</p>
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What is stored in the stack when an object is created in Java?

<p>A reference to the object.</p>
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In Java, the _______ contains the actual data of objects, while the stack holds the _______ to these objects.

<p>heap, references</p>
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Given a Java class Person with an age field, what is the output of the following code? Person p = new Person(); p.age = 15; System.out.println(p.age);

<p><code>15</code> (C)</p>
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When an object is passed to a method in Java, any changes made to the object's state inside the method will be reflected outside the method.

<p>True (A)</p>
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Why do changes inside a method affect the original object when an object is passed as a parameter in Java?

<p>Java passes object references by value.</p>
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When an object is passed to a method in Java, the method receives a _______ of the object's reference.

<p>copy</p>
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Consider the following Java code: `class Person { int age = 0; }

public static void change(Person i) { i.age = 9; }

public static void main(String[] args) { Person p = new Person(); p.age = 15; change(p); System.out.println(p.age); }` What will be the output?

<p><code>9</code> (D)</p>
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Strings in Java are mutable.

<p>False (B)</p>
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What does it mean for a String to be immutable in Java?

<p>Its value cannot be changed after creation.</p>
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In Java, once a String object is created, its value cannot be modified, making it an _______ object.

<p>immutable</p>
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Given the following Java code snippet: String p = "Pravesh"; public static void change(String i) { i = "Steve"; } change(p); System.out.println(p); What is the output?

<p><code>Pravesh</code> (A)</p>
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In Java, the == operator compares the content of String objects.

<p>False (B)</p>
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What does the == operator compare when used with objects in Java?

<p>Object references.</p>
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To compare the content of two String objects in Java, you should use the ______ method, not the == operator.

<p>equals</p>
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What is the output of the following Java code? String p = "pravesh"; String q = "pravesh".toLowerCase(); System.out.println(p == q);

<p><code>false</code> (B)</p>
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What is the output of the following Java code? String p = "pravesh"; String q = "pravesh".toLowerCase(); System.out.println(p.equals(q));

<p><code>true</code> (B)</p>
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Match the memory area with its primary purpose in Java:

<p>Stack = Stores method calls, local variables, and references to objects. Heap = Stores objects and instances. Primitives = Directly allocated in the stack. Objects = Stored in heap, with references in the stack.</p>
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Which of the following code snippets correctly demonstrates how Java allocates memory for a primitive variable?

<p><code>int age = 5;</code> (A)</p>
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What is the primary reason for understanding how Java handles memory management?

<p>To avoid confusion from unexpected program output. (C)</p>
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Because strings are immutable, Java reuses string literals to point to the same memory location, resulting in memory optimization.

<p>True (A)</p>
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When is a stack frame allocated in Java?

<p>Each time a method is invoked. (A)</p>
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In Java, what happens to the original object when it is passed to a method and modified inside that method?

<p>The original object is modified. (D)</p>
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Why are strings treated specially compared to other objects in Java?

<p>Because strings are immutable. (B)</p>
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If two strings have the same content, the '==' operator in Java will always return true.

<p>False (B)</p>
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Java automatically handles memory management, relieving developers from manual memory allocation and deallocation.

<p>True (A)</p>
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In Java, the garbage collector reclaims memory from objects that:

<p>Are no longer reachable from any live thread. (C)</p>
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Match the concept with appropriate descriptions.

<p>Primitive Variables = Stored directly on the stack; hold basic data types (e.g., int, boolean) Object References = Stored on the stack; point to objects located in the heap Heap = Dynamic memory allocation; objects are stored here Stack Frame = Memory allocated for method execution; includes local variables and call information</p>
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What is a key benefit of Java handling memory management automatically, as opposed to manual memory management in C++?

<p>Reduced risk of memory leaks and dangling pointers automatically. (C)</p>
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Given that String objects are immutable, what happens when a new value is assigned to an existing String variable?

<p>the old String variable will be garbage collected and a new memory address will point to a new string object with the new value</p>
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Flashcards

C++ Memory Control

In C++, you had control over memory; you explicitly created and destroyed objects and could manipulate pointers.

Java Memory Handling

Java handles memory management automatically.

Stack frame allocation

Allocates a stack frame when a method is called

Java Memory Allocation

Java allocates primitives directly in the stack, while objects are stored in the heap with references in the stack.

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Local Primitive Variables

Variables of primitive type, such as int, boolean, char, etc., are stored directly in the stack.

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Method/Function Calls

When a method is called, a new stack frame is created, and arguments are passed by value. Changes to these arguments inside the method do not affect the original variables in the calling method.

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Object Storage

Objects are stored in the heap, and the stack holds references (pointers) to these objects.

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Creating a Person object

Creating a 'Person' object in Java

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Object reference

Assigning a new Person object to the variable 'p' in Java. This variable ‘p’ stores the address of where the object is stored.

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Passing Objects to Methods

When an object is passed to a method, it is actually the reference (address) of the object that is passed. Thus, if the method modifies the object's properties, these changes will be reflected outside the method as well.

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String Immutability

Strings are immutable, meaning their values cannot be changed after they are created.

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Strings and Immutability

Strings are immutable.

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String Modification Consequence

Because strings are immutable, any modification results in a new string object being created in memory.

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== Operator on Objects

The == operator compares object references (addresses), not the actual content. To compare the actual content of String objects, you should use the .equals() method.

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.equals() method

Compares the content of the strings .

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Study Notes

Lecture 4: How Java Handles Memory

  • In C++, memory control requires explicit creation, destruction of objects, and pointer manipulation.
  • Java handles memory management automatically.
  • Knowing how memory is handled helps to avoid confusion with unexpected outputs.

Back to Work!

  • Java allocates a stack frame when the main method is run.
  • Stack frames are also allocated anytime a method is called.
  • Java stores primitives directly in the stack.
  • Objects are stored in the heap.
  • References to objects are stored in the stack.

Local Primitive Variables

  • Primitive variables like int age = 5 are stored directly in the stack frame of the method where they are declared.

Method/Function Calls

  • When a method is called, a new stack frame is created for that method with its own local variables.
  • Variables are passed by value, so changes made to parameters within a method do not affect the original variables in the calling method. For example, if age is 5 in main
  • A call to change(age) where age is assigned the value 9.
  • System.out.println(age) will still result in the printing the value 5.

Objects

  • Objects are stored in the heap, and the stack holds a reference to the object's location in memory.
  • Changes to an object's properties affect all references to that object.
  • For example, setting p.age = 15 after creating a "Person" object "p" changes the value of p.age in the heap.

Objects Containing Objects

  • Objects can have other objects as fields.
  • These nested objects are also stored in the heap.

Passing Objects to Methods

  • When passing an object to a method, you are passing the reference to the object.
  • Modifying the referenced object within the method will change the original object.
  • For example, if p.age is initially 15, a method call change(p) where i.age is assigned 9 results in p.age now reflecting the value is print as 9.

Strings are a Bit Different

  • Strings are objects, but they are immutable.
  • When a string is "changed", it creates a new string object in memory.

A Consequence of Immutability

  • Because strings are immutable, assigning a new value to a string variable creates a new string object instead of modifying the existing one.

The == Operator on Objects

  • Using == compares the references (memory addresses) of objects, not their values.
  • To compare the values of objects use the .equals() method.
  • For example, comparing the string "pravesh" to "Pravesh".toLowerCase() using == will return false, but .equals() will return true.

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