Dans Questions : GC

[Kristof Camelbeke]

class I {
  private String name;
  public I(String s) {name = s;}
  private I other;
  public void other(I i) {other = i;}
}
class J {
  private I i1 = new I("A"), i2 = new I("B"), i3 = new I("C");
  private void m1() {
    i1.other(i2); i2.other(i1); i3.other(i3);
    i1 = i3; i2 = i3;
    m2();
  }
  private void m2() {/* Do amazing things. */}
  public static void main (String[] args) {
    new J().m1();
}}

Which of the three objects, A, B or C, is not eligible for garbage collection when method m2 begins to execute?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. None of the above
Answer is C... I thought every object is eligible for GC after the method has finished (in this case method m1) ???

[Vicken Karaoghlanian]

The answer given is correct, "A" looses its reference when (i1 = i3) is executed and "B" looses its reference when i2 = i3 is executed, the remaining object is "C" which has three references on it (i1, i2, i3).
Note also that "A", "B" and "C" are member objects, they'll loose their reference only after new J().m1(); finishes, executing m2() has no effect at all.