I get a StackOverFlowException on this code because my JVM doesn't support tail call optimizaion, right?

Question

I get a StackOverflowException on this Java method:

private static final Integer[] populate(final Integer[] array, final int length, final int current) {

    if (current == length) {
        return array;
    } else {
        array[current] = TR.random.nextInt();
        System.out.println(array[current]);
        return populate(array, length, current + 1);
    }
}

I'm playing with tail call recursion so I guess this is what happens when the JVM doesn't short circuit the stack right?

Answer 1

No JVM that I'm aware of supports tail call optimization. This is not an oversight. Apparently this optimization has significant consequences for Java reflection and Java security managers.

References:

• "Tail calls in the VM" by John Rose @ Oracle.
• Bug 4726340 - RFE: Tail Call Optimization

Answer 2

Yes, Tail Call Optimization is not currently supported by the JVM because of the security model and the need to always have a stack trace available, this example could easily be rewritten using iteration though.

Answer 3

I found a reference of tail recursion in java, therefore I would check this, (later when I've time).

Although it would be extremly ineffiecent for your use case.

Answer 4

Plain Java doesn't have tail call optimization, AFAIK. Scala does have a somewhat limited implementation of it: http://fupeg.blogspot.com/2009/04/tail-recursion-in-scala.html