How to delete an array properly in Java [duplicate]

Answer 1

Unlike C, Java provides automatic garbage collection,which will clear the array for you as it becomes unreachable(i.e goes out of scope).If you want you can make the array as null so that the memory location becomes unreachable.

    Foo[][] fooArray = new Foo[2][3];
    .
    .
    .
    fooArray = null;
    System.gc();

This gc call doesn't ensure that JVM will run garbage collector but it suggests that the Java Virtual Machine expend effort toward recycling unused objects in order to make the memory they currently occupy available for quick reuse. When control returns from the method call, the Java Virtual Machine has made a best effort to reclaim space from all discarded objects