Summary
In this chapter, we have gone through an overview of Java memory. We started with computer memory and learned that the computer has main memory and secondary storage. The main memory is most important for us since this is what is used to run programs, including Java programs.
The main memory consists of RAM and ROM. Java applications use RAM to run. Java applications are executed by the JVM. This JVM executes Java applications and in order to do so, it has three components: a class loader, runtime data areas, and an execution engine.
We focused on the different components of the runtime data area: the heap, stack, method area, PC register, and native method stack.
The stack is the memory area that is used to store variables and values of methods in frames. The heap is used for storing objects. The stack holds references to objects on the heap. The heap is accessible from everywhere within the application and whoever has an object’s address on the heap can access...