InputStream resources

[Kevin Kirkeby]

I have usually gotten properties from a file as follows:
properties.load(new FileInputStream(propFile));

After I'm finished I just return from the method that invoked the above
statement. I've been assuming that after I exit my method, the garbage
collector *should* clean things up; however, am I incorrect in this
assumption? i.e. are resources not being released?

Is this a bad programming practice or should I do more of the following:
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(propFile);
properties.load(fis);
fis.close();

Thanks!

 

[Adam Maass]

I have usually gotten properties from a file as follows:
properties.load(new FileInputStream(propFile));

After I'm finished I just return from the method that invoked the above
statement. I've been assuming that after I exit my method, the garbage
collector *should* clean things up; however, am I incorrect in this
assumption? i.e. are resources not being released?

Is this a bad programming practice or should I do more of the following:
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(propFile);
properties.load(fis);
fis.close();

You should explicitly close the FileInputStream.

Garbage collection will close it for you -- if it ever happens. And there's
no gurantee that it will before something bad happens.

-- Adam Maass

 

[Roedy Green]

Is this a bad programming practice or should I do more of the following:
FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(propFile);
properties.load(fis);
fis.close();

look in SRC.ZIP. I think the odds are you will see Properties.load
just that. You might as well use the short code. So long as you
don't gratuitously store references to things, they will be garbage
collected naturally.