Can you explain what happens when the finalize method is called in Java and in which cases it is invoked?

In Java, the finalize() method is called by the garbage collector before an object is removed from memory. Its purpose is to free resources that are not managed by the JVM, such as closing files or network connections.

However, the call to finalize() is not guaranteed and may occur with a delay or not at all, so it is not recommended to rely on it for resource cleanup.

Example of usage:

@Override
protected void finalize() throws Throwable {
    try {
        // Resource cleanup
    } finally {
        super.finalize();
    }
}

In modern Java versions, it is recommended to use try-with-resources statements or explicitly close resources instead of relying on finalize().