Java String compareTo() Method
Example
Compare two strings:
public class MyClass {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String myStr1 = "Hello";
String myStr2 = "Hello";
System.out.println(myStr1.compareTo(myStr2)); // Returns 0 because they are equal
}
}
Definition and Usage
The compareTo() method compares two strings
lexicographically.
The comparison is based on the Unicode value of each character in the strings.
The method returns 0 if the string is equal to the other string. A value less than 0 is returned if the string is less than the other string (less characters) and a value greater than 0 if the string is greater than the other string (more characters).
Tip: Use compareToIgnoreCase() to compare two strings lexicographyically, ignoring lower case and upper case differences.
Tip: Use the equals() method to compare two strings without consideration of Unicode values.
Syntax
public int compareTo(String string2)
public int compareTo(Object object)
Parameter Values
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| string2 | A String, representing the other string to be compared |
| object | An Object, representing an object to be compared |
Technical Details
| Returns: | An int value: 0 if the string is equal to the other string.< 0 if the string is lexicographically less than the other string > 0 if the string is lexicographically greater than the other string (more characters) |
|---|
❮ String Methods
