What is the difference between final, finally and finalize in Java?
Quick answer
final is a keyword that prevents reassigning a variable, overriding a method or extending a class; finally is a block that always runs after try/catch for cleanup; finalize() was a method called by the garbage collector and is now deprecated.
final on a variable means it can be assigned once (the object it refers to can still change). On a method it cannot be overridden, and on a class it cannot be subclassed (String is final). finally runs whether or not an exception was thrown, which is why it was used to close resources, but try-with-resources is now the preferred way.
finalize() was unreliable because nobody knows when, or whether, the garbage collector will call it. It has been deprecated for removal since Java 18. Use try-with-resources and AutoCloseable, or Cleaner, instead.
try (BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("data.txt"))) {
System.out.println(reader.readLine());
} catch (IOException e) {
log.error("read failed", e);
} // reader is closed automatically