Avoid Memory Leaks in Java with WeakHashMap for Efficient Caching

Learn how WeakHashMap prevents memory leaks in Java by automatically removing unused keys. See why it’s better than HashMap for caching and how to implement it with best practices.

🚀 Why Use WeakHashMap for Caching?

In Java, using a regular HashMap for caching objects can lead to memory leaks because strong references prevent garbage collection.

💡 Solution? Use WeakHashMap, a special implementation where keys are weak references and automatically removed when no longer in use.

📌 In this article, you’ll learn:
✅ Why WeakHashMap is better than HashMap for caching
✅ How it prevents memory leaks with garbage collection (GC)
✅ Complete example demonstrating its use

🔍 The Problem: Memory Leaks with HashMap

✔ Using HashMap for Caching (Leads to Memory Leaks)

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

public class HashMapMemoryLeak {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Map<Object, String> cache = new HashMap<>();

        Object key = new Object(); // Strong reference
        cache.put(key, "Cached Data");

        key = null; // Remove reference to key…