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description: Explains the concept of a thread&#x27;s stack in Java: a fixed-size portion of memory (typically a few megabytes, varying by OS) that stores local variables and...
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# What is the stack of a thread? - Cracking the Java Coding Interview  #javacoding #javatips

**[Java \(Official Oracle\)](https://daily.dev/sources/java-oracle)** · 1 min read · 3 upvotes · 1 comments

## Summary

Explains the concept of a thread's stack in Java: a fixed-size portion of memory (typically a few megabytes, varying by OS) that stores local variables and references for that thread only. Unlike the heap, which all threads share and where race conditions occur, the stack is private per thread, so no race conditions happen there. Java's runtime manages this memory for developers automatically.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcyxXj-YH4s>

## Questions this post answers

### What is the stack of a thread in Java and how is it different from the heap?

The stack of a thread is the portion of memory used to store local variables and references created by the code the thread executes; references live on the stack, but the objects they point to live on the heap. Unlike the heap, which all threads share and can cause race conditions, each thread has its own private stack that is not shared, so no race conditions occur there.

_Developers debugging concurrency issues can find clear explanations like this on daily.dev._

### Do I need to manually manage thread stack memory in Java?

No, thread stack memory is managed automatically by the Java API, so developers do not need to allocate or free it manually. The stack size is fixed at the operating system level, varies by OS, and is typically several megabytes, since threads are treated as a system resource.

_daily.dev surfaces practical explanations for developers studying JVM memory internals._

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@siddhu2502** · 0 upvotes

> when ever he comes up with his interview questions ... i just restructure my entire understanding of java ! Really have to appreciate the amount of thoughts that is required to create a language like this

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