What is the purpose of the finalize method in Java?

In Java, finalize() is a special method that is used to perform clean-up operations before the garbage collector cleans up the object. When an object is no longer referenced, the garbage collector is triggered and calls the finalize() method before cleaning up the object.

The finalize() method is typically used to release non-Java resources, such as open files, database connections, network connections, etc. Inside the method, you can perform operations to release resources, like closing files, closing database connections, closing network connections, and so on.

However, it should be noted that the finalize() method does not guarantee to be called in a timely manner and the number of times it will be called cannot be determined. Therefore, it is not advisable to rely on the finalize() method for resource release. It is better to use try-with-resources or manually close resources to ensure proper release of resources.