Module java.base
Package java.lang

Interface AutoCloseable

All Known Subinterfaces:
Arena, AsynchronousByteChannel, AsynchronousChannel, BaseStream<T,S>, ByteChannel, CachedRowSet, CallableStatement, Channel, Clip, Closeable, Connection, DataLine, DirectoryStream<T>, DoubleStream, ExecutorService, FilteredRowSet, GatheringByteChannel, ImageInputStream, ImageOutputStream, InterruptibleChannel, IntStream, JavaFileManager, JdbcRowSet, JMXConnector, JoinRowSet, Line, LongStream, MidiDevice, MidiDeviceReceiver, MidiDeviceTransmitter, Mixer, ModuleReader, MulticastChannel, NetworkChannel, ObjectInput, ObjectOutput, Port, PreparedStatement, ReadableByteChannel, Receiver, ResultSet, RMIConnection, RowSet, ScatteringByteChannel, ScheduledExecutorService, SecureDirectoryStream<T>, SeekableByteChannel, Sequencer, SourceDataLine, StandardJavaFileManager, Statement, Stream<T>, SyncResolver, Synthesizer, TargetDataLine, Transmitter, WatchService, WebRowSet, WritableByteChannel
All Known Implementing Classes:
AbstractExecutorService, AbstractInterruptibleChannel, AbstractSelectableChannel, AbstractSelector, AsynchronousFileChannel, AsynchronousServerSocketChannel, AsynchronousSocketChannel, AudioInputStream, BufferedInputStream, BufferedOutputStream, BufferedReader, BufferedWriter, ByteArrayInputStream, ByteArrayOutputStream, CharArrayReader, CharArrayWriter, CheckedInputStream, CheckedOutputStream, CipherInputStream, CipherOutputStream, DatagramChannel, DatagramSocket, DataInputStream, DataOutputStream, DeflaterInputStream, DeflaterOutputStream, DigestInputStream, DigestOutputStream, FileCacheImageInputStream, FileCacheImageOutputStream, FileChannel, FileImageInputStream, FileImageOutputStream, FileInputStream, FileLock, FileOutputStream, FileReader, FileSystem, FileWriter, FilterInputStream, FilterOutputStream, FilterReader, FilterWriter, ForkJoinPool, Formatter, ForwardingJavaFileManager, GZIPInputStream, GZIPOutputStream, HttpClient, ImageInputStreamImpl, ImageOutputStreamImpl, InflaterInputStream, InflaterOutputStream, InputStream, InputStreamReader, JarFile, JarInputStream, JarOutputStream, LineNumberInputStream, LineNumberReader, LogStream, MemoryCacheImageInputStream, MemoryCacheImageOutputStream, MLet, MulticastSocket, ObjectInputStream, ObjectOutputStream, OutputStream, OutputStreamWriter, Pipe.SinkChannel, Pipe.SourceChannel, PipedInputStream, PipedOutputStream, PipedReader, PipedWriter, PrintStream, PrintWriter, PrivateMLet, ProgressMonitorInputStream, PushbackInputStream, PushbackReader, RandomAccessFile, Reader, RMIConnectionImpl, RMIConnectionImpl_Stub, RMIConnector, RMIJRMPServerImpl, RMIServerImpl, Scanner, ScheduledThreadPoolExecutor, SelectableChannel, Selector, SequenceInputStream, ServerSocket, ServerSocketChannel, Socket, SocketChannel, SSLServerSocket, SSLSocket, StringBufferInputStream, StringReader, StringWriter, StructuredTaskScopePREVIEW, StructuredTaskScope.ShutdownOnFailurePREVIEW, StructuredTaskScope.ShutdownOnSuccessPREVIEW, SubmissionPublisher, ThreadPoolExecutor, URLClassLoader, Writer, XMLDecoder, XMLEncoder, ZipFile, ZipInputStream, ZipOutputStream

public interface AutoCloseable
An object that may hold resources (such as file or socket handles) until it is closed. The close() method of an AutoCloseable object is called automatically when exiting a try-with-resources block for which the object has been declared in the resource specification header. This construction ensures prompt release, avoiding resource exhaustion exceptions and errors that may otherwise occur.
API Note:

It is possible, and in fact common, for a base class to implement AutoCloseable even though not all of its subclasses or instances will hold releasable resources. For code that must operate in complete generality, or when it is known that the AutoCloseable instance requires resource release, it is recommended to use try-with-resources constructions. However, when using facilities such as Stream that support both I/O-based and non-I/O-based forms, try-with-resources blocks are in general unnecessary when using non-I/O-based forms.

Since:
1.7