Question

Possible Duplicate:
Java Thread Garbage collected or not

Consider the following class:

class Foo implements Runnable {

  public Foo () {
       Thread th = new Thread (this);
       th.start();
  }

  public run() {
    ... // long task
  }

}

If we create several instances of Foo by doing

new Foo();
new Foo();
new Foo();
new Foo();

(note that we don’t keep a pointer to them).

1. Could those instances be removed by the garbage collector before
   the thread in run() ends? (In other words: is there any reference
   to the Foo objects?)

2. And, in the other hand, will those instances be removed by the GC
   after the thread in `run()’ ends, or are we wasting memory (“memory leak”)?

3. If either 1. or 2. are a problem, what’s the right way to do it?

Thanks

Answer 1

1. Any object which is referenced by an active thread may not be de-allocated.
2. Yes, instances will be removed by the GC after the thread in `run()’ ends.
3. No prob.