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Programing languages like C,C++ will not store array values in Heap rather it keeps the value in STACK. But in Java why there is a necessity to keep array values in heap?
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Storage of Arrays As discussed, the reference types in Java are stored in heap area. Since arrays are reference types (we can create them using the new keyword) these are also stored in heap area.
Where is the memory allocated for an array in Java? Memory is allocated in Heap are for the Array in Java. In Java reference types are stored in the Heap area. As arrays are also reference types, (they can be created using the “new” keyword) they are also stored in the Heap area.
Unlike Java, C++ arrays can be allocated on the stack. Java arrays are a special type of object, hence they can only be dynamically allocated via "new" and therefore allocated on the heap.
Heap space is used for the dynamic memory allocation of Java objects and JRE classes at runtime. New objects are always created in heap space, and the references to these objects are stored in stack memory. These objects have global access and we can access them from anywhere in the application.
In Java, arrays (just like all other objects) are passed around by reference: When you pass an array to a method, it will get a reference pointing to the same location in memory, no copy is being made. This means that the array needs to remain "alive" after the method that created it, and so cannot be stored in the stack frame for the method. It needs to managed by the garbage collector, just like all other objects.
There is some research going in to optimize JVM memory allocation using "escape analysis": If an object (such as an array) can be guaranteed to never leave the current scope, it becomes possible to in fact allocate it on the stack, which is more efficient.
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