Why does GC need zap unused heap area?

[Colin(Du Li)]

Thanks for your reply!
I modified the allocator, and copy some objects to new locations(similar to
"clone"). I found some of the objects in new locations are filled with
"0xbaadbabe" even if I set the zapping option as "false". 
I'm wondering who may take the action of filling the heap area with
"0xbaadbabe". Could you give me any clue?
Thanks again!

Colin

Y. Srinivas Ramakrishna wrote:
> 
> It's just a debugging aid, an indicator that a specific portion of the 
> heap has
> not yet been allocated to a Java object. It happens when space is
> first initialized into the heap (at initialization and space expansion)
> and then when newly freed space is identified by GC at the end of
> a collection (cycle). As you would have found, in product mode such
> "zapping" is not done.
> 
> -- ramki
> 
> Colin(Du Li) wrote:
>> Hi, guys,
>>
>> I have a question about GC.
>> Why does GC need fill the unused heap area with "badHeapWordVal"
>> ("0xbaadbabe")?
>> And when does this happen?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Du Li
>>   
> 
> 
> 

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