Name: rmT116609 Date: 06/17/2003


A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
Docs make it not clear that maxMemory() is the amount of memory that the JVM is using (measured from the OS it is running in), while totalMemory() returns the number of bytes that are available for the program inside the JVM.

Because of the similarity in freeMemory(), totalMemory() and maxMemory() the docs should make it more clear that the last gives information about the _outside_ of the JVM, while the first 2 give information about the _inside_ of the JVM.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
maxMemory():

Returns the maximum amount of memory that the Java virtual machine will attempt to use. If there is no inherent limit then the value Long.MAX_VALUE will be returned.

Note that this value reports on the number of bytes used in the operating system the Java virtual machine runs under, while freeMemory() and totalMemory() report on memory <i>inside</i> the Java virtual machine.
ACTUAL -
maxMemory():

Returns the maximum amount of memory that the Java virtual machine will attempt to use. If there is no inherent limit then the value Long.MAX_VALUE will be returned.


URL OF FAULTY DOCUMENTATION :
http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/docs/api/java/lang/Runtime.html#totalMemory()
(Review ID: 185783)
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