What are the differences between garbage collection and manual memory management?

What are the differences between garbage collection and manual memory management?

Garbage collection (GC) is an automatic memory management process that reclaims memory by removing objects that are no longer in use. In contrast, manual memory management requires the programmer to explicitly allocate and deallocate memory, which can lead to memory leaks if not handled properly.

What are the advantages of using garbage collection?

Garbage collection simplifies memory management, reduces the risk of memory leaks, and can improve program stability. It allows developers to focus more on application logic rather than memory handling.

Are there any downsides to garbage collection?

Yes, garbage collection can introduce overhead, potentially leading to performance issues, especially in real-time applications. It may also cause unpredictable pauses during execution.

When should I choose manual memory management over garbage collection?

Manual memory management is preferable in performance-critical applications where fine-tuned control over memory allocation is necessary, such as in game development or systems programming.