The Java language specification allows a dummy gc() method. Why?
java
Solution
Its effectively making a very important feature of java optional.
The GC is not made optional by that in Java. What is made optional is an explicit garbage collection, triggered by a call to `gc()`. And this is completely acceptable, since explicitly triggering a garbage collection is rarely necessary and interferes with the function of a modern garbage collector.
Problem
I've a hard time understanding the following: "The Java language specification allows a dummy gc() method." Why would the standard do this? Its effectively making a very important feature of java optional. This would also mean my same program will behave differently on two different JVM implementations !!! Something totally against Java's important feature of portability.