What is the purpose of the finalize method in Java?

In Java, the finalize method is a method defined in the Object class that is used to perform some cleanup operations before an object is garbage collected. The finalize method is automatically called when an object is about to be collected, and it can be used to release resources, close files or network connections, unregister events, and do other cleaning work. However, it is important to note that the finalize method is not guaranteed to be executed because the garbage collector does not collect objects immediately, and the timing of object collection is uncertain. Therefore, in actual development, we should not rely on the finalize method to release important resources, but should actively call other methods to release and clean up resources. Additionally, since the execution of the finalize method can impact the performance of the garbage collector, it should be avoided in some cases.