Memory in Java

ShaqDiesel · 10-05-2007, 01:21 AM

Hi, suppose you have the following local variable declaration:

Vector<ClassX> v = new Vector();

v holds an address that is stored in the heap, and that address is of something stored in the stack right? I just want to confirm my belief that new returns addresses stored in heap. The stuff held in those address are stored in the stack(if its a local var)

Is it the same way in C, except for malloc or calloc instead of new? Can someone point me to some easy tutorials with lots of diagrams on memory in Java and C please?

PatrickNew · 10-06-2007, 03:47 PM

The short answer is "it's implementation defined - depends on your JVM". If this were C++ code, it would be the perfect reverse of what you said. The reference v is stored on the stack, and it points to an object on the heap. However, as a garbage collecting language, it's not uncommon for JVM's to implement almost everything on the heap, so they could both be on the heap. Of course I'm not certain of this, I'm speaking from 3rd hand knowledge on the Java stuff, although I'm sure of the C/C++ stuff.