Explain the difference between == & .equals methods in Java?

[Harpreet Gaur]

I am new learner(beginner) in the Java programming world. I am also learning other programming language like C sharp, C++, .NET and DBMS. Actually now a days, i am studying/working the different methods of strings in Java. I came across a query i.e what is the difference between "= =" and ".equal" method in Java? Please help me.

[Praetor]

I know this method(i.e "= =" and ".equal") strings are very confusing one. I would say that "==" method is swallow comparison. In simple words., it means that they will use the memory location for comparison/comparing instead of using that data. And ".equals()" method is in-depth comparison. In simple words, this method will check the content between two object instead of that the memory location. Hope your confusion will be gone.

[Modifier]

Both are the method of the string comparison, but the behavior of both of them are completely different from each other. The method "==" will do checking that whether two strings are pointing to same location(memory location) or not. And the method ".equals" will do checking whether that two strings are same(value) or not. Both of them gives output value as true(1) or false(0). Hope i have clear your doubt. All the best.

[MindSpace]

Good question ask by you. I think both the methods are different from eac other in their significance. The ".equals()" method is inside the java.lang.Object class and it check for the equivalence of the state of objects(i.e check value of object).And on the other hand, the '==' operator is expected to check the actual object instances are same or not(i.e check the memory location of objects). Hope your doubt would be clear.

[Katty]

According to me, the ""==" is used to check the memory location of the obecjts are same or not and compare both are of same type or not. And whereas ".equals" is used to compare both are of same contents
or not.
Example:
String str1="demo";
String str2=new String("demo");
if(str1.equals(str2))
System.out.println(" if(str1.equals(str2)"); //true
if(str1==str2)
System.out.println(" s1==s2"); //false
Hope you will understand the difference between both the methods.

[Reegan]

This both methods are very confusing for any programmer at the start. People think they both are similar only, but they are not similar. The "equals()" method is from Object Class.And so this method will check the equality between two objects.
example:
String s1 = "JAVA";
String s2 = "JAVA";
s1.equals(s2) ;// this will returns true as answer.
And "==" is a operator type, and it can will be use in two ways: to compare the values of primitive variables and to compare the object reference variables.
Example:
String s1
char s2
String s3
s1==s3 //it will returns true as answer.
s1==s2 //it will returns false as answer.