Does Java have an operator like sizeof() in C?
A superficial answer is that Java does not provide anything like C’s sizeof(). However, let’s consider why a Java programmer might occasionally want it. A C programmer manages most datastructure memory allocations himself, and sizeof() is indispensable for knowing memory block sizes to allocate. Additionally, C memory allocators like malloc() do almost nothing as far as object initialization is concerned: a programmer must set all object fields that are pointers to further objects. But when all is said and coded, C/C++ memory allocation is quite efficient. By comparison, Java object allocation and construction are tied together (it is impossible to use an allocated but uninitialized object instance). If a Java class defines fields that are references to further objects, it is also common to set them at construction time. Allocating a Java object therefore frequently allocates numerous interconnected object instances: an object graph. Coupled with automatic garbage collection, this is a
