Again reachable

[naveen yadav]

Look a code

public class SaveMe{

/*insert here*/
public static void main(String[] args) 
{

SaveMe obj = new SaveMe();
obj =null; //ovject elegible for GC

}

protected void finalize() { saver = this;}


}

Which of the following line can be placed at /*insert here*/ can save the object obj from GC. Specify reason

A. static SaveMe saver ;

B . SaveMe saver ;

C Both A nd B.

[dennis deems]

Questions for you to ask yourself:

1. What does the static keyword mean? What is the difference between a static field and an instance field?
2. The garbage collector won't collect an object if there is a live reference to it. Which line would keep a reference to the object alive?

[Kaydell Leavitt]

I don't know why K&B makes such a big deal about saving objects from GC. I can't think of any practical reason to save an object from GC.

[Dan Drillich]

Both compile and seem to run just fine. B is probably better as each instance keeps a reference to the object while in A only the last reference will be saved.

Regards,
Dan

[Paul Clapham]

Kaydell Leavitt wrote:I don't know why K&B makes such a big deal about saving objects from GC. I can't think of any practical reason to save an object from GC.

You're right about that. However a large number of questions in those certification exams are about things which no sane programmer would ever do. Follow this forum for a while and you'll see what I mean. (Although I haven't seen "i = i++" for a while.) But since Java lets you do those things, and the tests are supposed to be comprehensive, they have to be covered by the tests.