>Hi Nick,
>>This can be questionable. Do you really exist, if nobody sees you (has a reference to you) ?
>
>IMHO it is not questionable. You definitely exist, but you might be slated for extinction (garbage collection - if your living quarters are in a *current* jvm, which will collect you even if there are still references to you, but the whole complex is inaccessible from the main class).
>
>In this state you are either on your way out (to be collected) or a memory leak (if your jvm only works with reference counting).
>

Yes, that's the reference that counts! :)