The major benefit of Java is its feature of automated memory management. It works on allocating the memory of the new object that we create. It has the built-in Garbage Collector that is fruitful in cleaning up the memory. It also deals with the issues of memory leaks in Java. Undoubtedly, Java offers a commendable memory management feature.
Moreover, if it detects any unnecessary application, then the garbage collector automatically removes that application. Due to this, programmers feel stress-free regarding memory management. However, among all these features, we cannot forget about memory leaks in Java.
Even beginner programmers do not have the quality of knowledge regarding the memory leak in Java. To clear their confusion, we will discuss what it is and ways to avoid it.
So let us discuss: what is a memory leak in Java?
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What is a memory leak in Java?
In the scenario of a memory leak, the garbage collector is unable to find the unused object. This unnecessary object will lessen the amount of memory and leads to an out-of-memory error.
In addition to that, one can easily recognize the initial and large size of the application with the two options:
- -Xms<size>m
- -Xmx<size>m
In the two terms mentioned above, m stands for the size in M.B.
Indication of memory leak in Java:
Numerous things indicate that your java application has the problem of Java leak. Here is the list of two major indications of memory leaks in Java.
- You may experience a decrease in the performance of the application.
- The increment in the memory increases the lifespan of the application.
- Spontaneous crashes
- You may experience the performance issue related to the large data sets.
If you face any of the issues mentioned above, you should think about the memory leak in Java.
What causes the problem of memory leaks?
There are numerous reasons associated with the problem of memory leaks in Java. As a liable programmer, you must know the main reasons that create the problem. In addition to that, here is a list of some major causes of memory leaks.
Reasons for Memory Leak in Java
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Use unnecessary object reference
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Bugs in third-party libraries
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Fail to clean the native-system resource
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Give the preference to the long live static object.
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Use unnecessary object reference.
These object references are categorized as useless or no longer required. Even garbage collectors are not able to detect that object. It can also be the reason for memory leaks in Java.
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Bugs in third-party libraries
We cannot neglect this factor when we are talking about the memory leak in Java. The bugs which are available in the A.W.T. and Java Swing Packages can also lead to this problem. So, you can also consider this problem.
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Give the preference to long-live static objects.
The usage of long-live static objects can also become the reason for this problem. These sorts of live things are present in the memory till the lifespan of the application.
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Fail to clean the native-system resource
The external function of Java allocates the native system resource. So, if the System fails to clean the native-system help, you may experience the memory leak issue.
Preventing the memory leak
Now, after reading the information, you may have one question in your mind that is: “What are the ways of preventing the memory leak in Java?” The problem of memory leaks also has solutions. What you need to do is implement all these preventive methods to resolve the issue of memory leaks.
If you also have this question, then the below-mentioned information will be fruitful for you in guiding how to fix the issues related to the memory leak in Java.
- Avoid the creation of useless objects
- Try to ignore the string concatenation
- Give the preference to the string builder
- Avoid the storage of huge amounts of data in the session.
- Try to ignore the System.GC()method.
- If you no longer used it, then give the preference to timeout the session.
- Do not give preference to static objects. What you need to do is establish the reference to null.
By considering these ways, you can work on avoiding the problem of memory leaks in Java. So make notes of all these things and try to work on them.
Ways to detecting the memory leak:
After reading the symptoms and causes, you may think that it is to find out the memory leak. However, in reality, it is opposite to your thinking level. It does not mean that we cannot detect it. However, you will have to work hard to see the memory leak.
In addition to that, the below-mentioned information will guide you about the ways for finding the memory leak.
To make work easier, you can prefer tools that will be fruitful in performing the static analysis and finding out the memory leaks. Here is the list of some tools you can keep in your mind and use while you may have doubts regarding memory leaks.
- JProbe
- AppPefect
- Visual VM
- Jprofiler
- YourKit
- JRockit, and so on.
You can give preference to the above-mentioned tools, detect the problem of memory leaks.
How to fix the problem of memory leaks?
You can easily work on fixing the problem of memory leaks. Here is the list of some solutions which you can consider to fix the problem of memory leaks.
- Give the preference to the JVM tools.
- Consider the head dump
- Opt to the eclipse memory leak warnings.
These are three important and best ways to solve the problem of the leak. You can consider the best.
In the end, with the help of the information mentioned above, you can easily find out the memory leak in Java and work on it. So, research each method and execute it as per your preference.
F.A.Q.
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Can Java consist of memory leaks?
It does not consist of memory leaks. On the other hand, the extra memory can use more than its needs, not all unused objects.
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What are the reasons for collecting the garbage in Java?
It is considered the task in the garbage collection to find out which memory is no longer in use by the Java Application. It lessens the burden of the management regarding the management of memory.
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