How does OutOfMemoryError impact performance or memory usage?

An OutOfMemoryError in Java occurs when the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) cannot allocate an object due to a lack of sufficient memory. This can significantly impact performance and memory usage in applications, leading to application crashes or unexpected behavior.

When an OutOfMemoryError occurs, it typically results in immediate termination of the thread or application, causing performance degradation. The memory management becomes inefficient, leading to slower execution times for remaining processes as the system juggles memory allocation and garbage collection. In addition, during development, if the error is not handled properly, it can leak memory, thereby consuming more resources over time.

    // Example of handling OutOfMemoryError in Java
    try {
        // Code that may cause OutOfMemoryError
        List dataList = new ArrayList<>();
        while (true) {
            dataList.add("Continuous Data");
        }
    } catch (OutOfMemoryError e) {
        System.err.println("OutOfMemoryError occurred: " + e.getMessage());
        // Implement recovery or cleanup here
    }