Search code examples
eclipsegarbage-collection

Eclipse: Garbage Collector Button


What happens when I press the "Run Garbage Collector" button in Eclipse? Does it just call System.gc()?


Solution

  • Yes, it is strictly a call to the JVM, not to an internal Eclipse function (see this thread).

    Don't forget the Memory Analyzer to also check paths to garbage collection roots (in a Head Dump) if you suspect some memory leaking in your Eclipse session.

    Note: that button is only available if you select the "Show Heap status" in the General section of the Eclipse preferences:

    alt text