The Finalize() Method

Many times an object will require performing a few actions whenever it is destroyed.   For instance, if an object is containing a few non-Java resources like as a file handle or window character font, then you may need to make sure these resources are freed before an object is destroyed.  To handle like situations, Java gives a mechanism known as finalization. Through using finalization, you can declare specific actions which will occur whenever an object is just about to be reclaimed through the garbage collector.

To add a finalizer   to a class, you simply declare finalize () method. The Java runtime calls which function whenever it is about to recycle an object of that class. Within finalize () method you will specify those actions which must be performed before an object is destroyed. A garbage collector runs periodically while checking for objects which are no longer referenced through any running state or indirectly by other referenced objects. Right before an asset is freed, Java run time calls the finalize() method on the object.

The finalize() method has this common form:

Protected void finalize ()

{

// Finalization code here

}

In the above example, the keyword protected is a specifier which avoids access to finalize () through code defined outside its class.

It is very important to understand in which finalize () is only known just prior to garbage collection. It is not called whenever an object goes out-of-scope, for instance.  This means that you cannot know when-or even if - finalize () will be executed. Thus, your program should give other means of releasing system resources, and many more. Used by the object. It have not rely on finalize () for normal program operation.