Garbage collection automatically reclaims allocated memory that is no longer reachable by the running program. Garbage collection roots such as active references and static storage lead through object-reference fields to reachable software objects in heap memory. A tracing garbage collection implementation preserves reachable software objects and can reclaim unreachable ones, including unreachable cycles.
An software object becoming unreachable is different from its state being old or its last object method call having finished. A retained reference can keep it live indefinitely. Collection timing is an implementation matter; automatic reclamation does not promise that an software object is reclaimed immediately when the final useful reference disappears.
Constructing channel implementations, decorators and adapters allocates software objects that hold state and references to other software objects. As configurations and temporary processing chains are replaced, some old software objects become unreachable. A typical Scala program on a managed runtime relies on garbage collection to recycle that storage; otherwise unreclaimed allocation can exhaust the available heap memory.
A reachable wrapper keeps its wrapped component reachable. Sharing a channel among several wrappers can extend its lifetime until all relevant references disappear. Many software objects alone do not imply that collection can free them: if the program deliberately retains every channel, those software objects remain live. The reason garbage collection is useful is repeated allocation combined with changing reachability, not an assumption that the integer-returning
apply operation allocates a fresh channel on every call. Articles by others on the same topic
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