Understanding Garbage Collection in Java: A Closer Look

What is the primary goal of garbage collection in Java?

• A. To speed up program execution
• B. To enforce access control on object data
• C. To automatically manage memory usage
• D. To compile Java code into machine language

Answer: (C)

The primary goal of garbage collection in Java is to automatically manage memory usage. This is because Java is an object-oriented programming language and objects are created and stored in memory during program execution. If these objects are not properly managed and removed when they are no longer needed, it can lead to memory leaks and inefficient use of memory. This is why garbage collection is important in Java to automatically remove unused objects and free up memory for other processes. The other options are incorrect because enforcing access control on object data and compiling Java code into machine language are not the primary purposes of garbage collection. While garbage collection can have some impact on program execution speed, its primary goal is memory management and not optimization for speed.

When it comes to Java, one fundamental aspect that you simply can’t overlook is garbage collection. You may be asking yourself, "What’s the big deal about it?" Well, let’s break it down. The primary goal of garbage collection in Java is to automatically manage memory usage. Sounds straightforward, right? But there’s so much more to it than just the mechanics of removing unused objects.