StackOverflowError Vs OutOfMemoryError in Java

June 28, 2022

StackOverflowError Vs OutOfMemoryError in Java

While working on and running a Java application you may come across any of these two errors related to memory, StackOverflowError and OutOfMemoryError. In this post we’ll see the differences between StackOverflowError and OutOfMemoryError in Java.

Table of contents

StackOverflowError in Java
OutOfMemoryError in Java
StackOverflowError Vs OutOfMemoryError in Java

StackOverflowError in Java

A JVM stack is created for each JVM thread. Whenever a method is invoked a new frame is created and pushed into the JVM stack for the thread. Each frame stores data related to the method like local variables, operand stack and a reference to the run-time constant pool of the class of the current method. Once the method execution is completed stack frame (for that method) is popped out of the stack.

If execution of any method requires a larger stack than is permitted, the Java Virtual Machine throws a StackOverflowError. You may see StackOverflowError when you have a recursive method with no terminating condition.

For example a Java program to recursively print even numbers without any terminating condition.

public class StatckOverFlowErrorExample {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    printEven(1);
  }
	
  private static int printEven(int i) {
    if(i % 2 != 0) {
      i++;
    }
    System.out.println(i);
    return i + printEven(i + 2);
  }
}

Output

20808
20810
20812
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StackOverflowError
	at java.base/java.io.PrintStream.write(PrintStream.java:605)
	at java.base/java.io.PrintStream.print(PrintStream.java:676)
	at java.base/java.io.PrintStream.println(PrintStream.java:812)
	at com.knpcode.proj.Programs.StatckOverFlowErrorExample.printEven(StatckOverFlowErrorExample.java:14)
	at com.knpcode.proj.Programs.StatckOverFlowErrorExample.printEven(StatckOverFlowErrorExample.java:15)

OutOfMemoryError in Java

Whenever you create a new object memory for that object is allocated on the heap. Instance variables and arrays are also stored on the heap.

Once the object stored on the heap is not having any reference, memory for that object is reclaimed by garbage collector. If there are references to the object then GC can’t remove those objects, if you have large number of such referenced objects and JVM tries to allocate heap memory for new object, JVM throws java.lang.OutOfMemoryError because there is no sufficient heap memory left.

Trying to allocate an array that is larger than the heap size also results in OutOfMemoryError.

public static void main(String[] args) {
	Integer[] array = new Integer[1000*1000*1000];
}

Output

Exception in thread "main" java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space