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equals()

Definition

The equals() method is used to compare two objects for equality. It checks if the values of the objects are the same, rather than comparing their memory addresses.

Analogy

Think of equals() as a friendship test. When you use equals(), you're checking if two friends have similar interests and personalities, not if they live in the same house or have the same name.

Related terms

== (double equal sign): The double equal sign is another way to compare objects for equality, but it compares their memory addresses instead of their values.

String: A String is a sequence of characters. In Java, you can use equals() to compare two String objects and check if they have the same content.

compareTo(): The compareTo() method is used to compare two objects based on their natural ordering. It returns an integer value that indicates whether one object is less than, equal to, or greater than another object.



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.