Memory allocation in C#

Question

Hi All,

I want to clarify How exactly  memory is allocated/deallocated in following situations

class A

{

 //Some method implementations

}

 

class B

{

    A obja1 = new A();

    public void Test()

      {

          A obja2 = new A();

      }

}

 

1) When first declare class A it is allocated in Heap ?

2) when we declare class B it also goes inside  heap ?

3) a reference/pointer named obja1 is created in heap which points to class A heap memory location ?

4) a reference/pointer named obja1 is created in stack which points to class A heap memory location ?

5) There will be two memory location created inside heap for class A for each object or both object points to same location.

6) When we talk about garbage collection will it be object (pointer) to heap or memory location in heap itself?

 

Please clarify

Thanks

 

 

 

 

Answer 1

Hi  All  , 

please  take  a look  at this link  I  think  that's  the  best article that can  illustrate heap vs stack  allocation  and can  answer all  your questions

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A man's dreams are an index to his greatness

Answer 2

Thanks Kamel for your reply,

I have gone through the article.It is very good article.For clarification I putted my questions

Article says object is nothing but pointer inside stack or in heap (if it is directly declared in class not in any method)

If above is true then how garbage collection is related to object itself?

Thanks

 

 

 

Answer 3

ok  let's  try  to go  step  by  step

1) The CLR includes it's  own  file loader  ,memory manager  which is the garbage  collector 

2) Each compiler targetting CLR in addition to emitting  IL,is required to emit full metada into every managed module (It's  just  a set of data tables that describe what is defined in  the module ).In addition  metadata  also  has  tables indicating what the  managed module references, such  as imported types  and their members .( Metadata allows  an object's  fields  to be serialized into  a memory block,sent  to another machine ,and  then deserialized,re-creating the object's state on the remote machine  )  

3)  So  as  a conclusion  Metadata allows the garabge collector  to  track  the luife time of objects  . For any object ,the garbage collector can  determine  the type of the object  and  ,  from  the metadata,  know wich fields within  that object  refer to  others object   .

Hope  this can enlighten  you  . ..!

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A man's dreams are an index to his greatness

Answer 4

Thanks Kamel once again

As per my understanding I reached to following answers.

1) When first declare class A it is allocated in Heap ?

   Yes

2) when we declare class B it also goes inside  heap ?

Yes

3) a reference/pointer named obja1 is created in heap which points to class A heap memory location ?

   Yes as per article (link you given) variable goes where it is declared so it will go to heap

4) a reference/pointer named obja2 is created in stack which points to class A heap memory location ?

Yes obja2 will  go inside stack same reason

5) There will be two memory location created inside heap for class A for each object or both object points to same location.

   whenever we use new keyword it will create new copy of same memory inside heap so each object will point to separate memory  if it is instantiated using  new

6) When we talk about garbage collection will it be object (pointer) to heap or memory location in heap itself?

Actually there is no link of GC with object/pointers which resides inside stack .GC linkto memory location  only where object points to inside heap

 

am I right ?

 

Thanks

 

 

Answer 5

>> 6) When we talk about garbage collection will it be object (pointer) to heap or memory location in heap itself?

try  to  immagine GC as a monitor or  a proxy that  must  take under control  the situation   and  need  to perform  some verification  in  order  to know  what objects are  no  more needed  and  must  be  deallocated  ,So it will  not be neither  object  pointer to heap  or memory  location  in heap itself . try to take a look  at  this links  1 and  this one 2  

Hope  this help  ....!  

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A man's dreams are an index to his greatness