Aggregation in Java

Hi

while reading an example for Aggregation .
I got with this from a site .

"My Object consists of other Objects which can live even after MyObject is destroyed ".

Now my question will this be not a memory leak ?

Aggregation: Life times of the objects are not the same, one object can live even after the other object has been destroyed.

Please Can i get a java example for the above statement .

What about Strings which are coded as literals? They remain in the String pool until the class has been unloaded.
What about something which has a second reference in another class, maybe a List?

Thank you.

The first point made by you explains nice.

You're welcome

Ravi Kiran V wrote:Now my question will this be not a memory leak ?

Only if the remaining references should not be there (which is a programming error), but mostly objects remain because they are still needed. That means it's not a memory leak since that means the objects are not needed at all but still use memory.

Ravi Kiran V wrote:
My Object consists of other Objects which can live even after MyObject is destroyed ".

Now my question will this be not a memory leak ?

This is a misunderstanding. Aggregation is a design relationship. It has nothing to do with the disposal of objects when they're no longer used.

Ordinary composition describes how a class is constructed from other classes. Aggregation composition on the other hand describes the temporary relationships a class can form.

One example is a Car. A Car is constructed from of its Parts. It owns them. If a Part is misssing the Car is broken. Car forms a composition relationship with its Parts.

But a Car also can have Passengers. The Passengers aren't Parts of the Car. When a Passenger is missing the Car isn't broken. The Car doesn't own its Passengers. When they're not in the Car they're elsewhere. The relationship is temporary. Passengers come and go. Car forms an aggregation relationship with its Passengers.

Note that both are composition relationships really. A Car has Parts and it has Passengers. The difference is the duration. The relationship with Parts is forever whereas the relationship with Passengers is temporary.