Java comparing strings [duplicate] - java

This question already has answers here:
How do I compare strings in Java?
(23 answers)
Closed 9 years ago.
i have a small of a problem. I have to String Lists with the same size and a string to compare. meaning i want to compare the string with the first list to get the index of the compared string in the list and then get another string from the other list on this index.
private String getStringOnIndex(List<String> list1, List<String> list2,String elem)
{
String elem2;
for (int i = 0; i<list1.size();i++) {
if(list1.get(i).equals(elem)){
elem2 = list2.get(i);
return elem2;
} else {
return "nope";
}
}
}
Is it wrong to compare two strings like that. or should i use the operator ==. I know the style with to string lists is not nice but its just a temporary solution. thx for any help :)

To answer your specific question on "string comparison", what you are doing is correct. String content comparison should be done using equals(). Using operator == is only checking for the equality of the reference, not the content.
For the work you are doing now, it looks like a key-value lookup to me. You may consider some redesign and, instead of storing 2 lists, make a Map<String, String>

== operator in Java compares the Object References, to compare strings you should use equals().

if (list1.get(i).matches(elem))....

always use equals method to compare two string. If you are comparing references then use == operator. Here discussion can be useful How do I compare strings in Java?

== operator work fine only if the String variable is not instanciated new keyword.
Suppose:
String s1 = "abc";
String s2 = "abc";
Then s1==s2 works good.
If:
String s1 = new String("abc");
String s2 = new String("abc");
Then you must use equals method to compare the values.
Finally, it is always better to use equals method to compare the String values.

Use the equals() method to compare the value of the object,where as == operator will compare object reference.

The problem is not equals (that is the correct method), you must remove else expression, if not you will stop always at first iteration, solution:
private String getStringOnIndex(List<String> list1, List<String> list2,String elem)
{
String elem2;
for (int i = 0; i<list1.size();i++) {
if(list1.get(i).equals(elem)){
elem2 = list2.get(i);
return elem2;
}
}
return "nope";
}

Related

Wrong results while String comparison [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
How do I compare strings in Java?
(23 answers)
Closed 8 years ago.
I'm in little trouble. The problem is when I'm trying to compare 2 strings(type String) operator '==' returns FALSE, but actually strings are equal.
Here's the code with its problem:
//before the following code I filled the "LinkedList <String> command" and there is
//a node with value of args[0]
String deal="";
Iterator it = commands.listIterator();
if(it.hasNext() == true)
{
if(it.next() == args[0])
{
deal += it.next();
it.hasNext();
break;
}
}
Thank You!!!
To compare two strings u should use the method equals() or equalsIgnoreCase().
in your case:
if(it.next().equals(args[0]))
the operator == returns true if the two object are the same object, same address in memory.
You use .equals when comparing two strings. So use
(it.next()).equals(args[0])
You have to use .equals method:
String deal="";
Iterator it = commands.listIterator();
if(it.hasNext() == true)
{
String next = it.next();
if(next.equals(args[0]))
{
deal += next;
break;
}
}
Be careful, .next() returns the value once and move its internal cursor to the next value.
The == cannot be used for String because the == is true if the same object instance is on both sides. The same string content can be in many String instances.
There are two ways of comparing strings.
Comparing the value of the strings (achieved using .equals ).
Comparing the actual object (achieved using == operator).
In your code you are comparing the references referred by it.next() & args[0]whereas you should compare the value of the two using it.next().equals(args[0]).
if you use == to compare two int values, then it is compare the two values, because int is primitive data type. If you use "==" to compare String object, it is check whether both String reference are referring the same String object or not. It do not consider values of the String objects.
If you want to compare values of String objects you have to use equals() of the String class. This method is comparing content of both String objects.

String comparison in java does not gives the desired results [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
How do I compare strings in Java?
(23 answers)
Closed 9 years ago.
I tried with the following class :
public class EqualMethodTestWithNew {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String value = "xxx";
String name = new String("xxx") ;
System.out.println("hascode : value : "+value.hashCode());
System.out.println("hascode : name : "+name.hashCode());
if (value == name) {
System.out.println("equal == 1");
} else {
System.out.println("false == 1");
}
}
}
though the hasCode is same for the both variable it prints the false == 1. could some one explain the reason why?
thanks
You need to understand what exactly is happening when you execute the 2 string statements.
String value = "xxx";
The above line creates a new compile time constant string which does into the String intern pool.
String name = new String("xxx") ;
But in this case, since you're using the new operator, it creates a new String object which goes in the object heap. It does not have the same address as the one which was created in the previous statement.
The hashCode() method is based on the contents of the String which are the same, but that doesn't mean that they both refer to the same String object in the memory.
s[0]*31^(n-1) + s[1]*31^(n-2) + ... + s[n-1] // would return same value for all String objects having the same content
To compare the values, you need to use equals() method.
And if you want to compare the object references use the == operator. In your case, since both refer to difference objects, you get the output as false.
Alternatively, you can ask the compiler to check and fetch the reference of a String with the same value already existing in the String pool by using the intern() method.
String value = "xxx";
String name = new String("xxx");
name = name.intern(); // getting reference from string pool
Now you'll get the output as equal == 1 when your do if (value == name) {.
You should be using equals method instead of == opertaor.
if (value.equals(name)) {
System.out.println("equal == 1");
} else {
System.out.println("false == 1");
}
Note that:
== tests for reference equality.
.equals() tests for value equality.
Please see here for more information.
The reason why your code is not working is that == tests whether the reference to the object is the same, and that is not your case. To compare the value of the string, you need to use the .equals(String str) method.
if (value.equals(name)) {
...
}
String should be compared with equals() method, not ==. You are trying the check the equality of the memory address of both instances (actually they are not) instead of the value in the String instances. So, use
if(value.equals(name)) {
System.out.println("equal == 1");
}
Strings are compared using equal() method. == compares the two objects are equal are not.

Java Input Problems - how to compare strings [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
How do I compare strings in Java?
(23 answers)
Closed 7 years ago.
This seems to be pretty simple, but I have been stucked here for a couple of hours.
I have a doubt when you have to compare two Strings in Java.
if I just do something like this:
String var1 = "hello";
String var2 = "hello";
and then compare these two words in another function, the result will clearly be true.
But the problem is when I have to compare two words that come from an input. Here is my code:
import java.util.Scanner;
public class Compare{
public static void main(String[] args){
Scanner Scanner = new Scanner (System.in);
System.out.println("Enter first word: ");
String var1 = Scanner.nextLine();
System.out.println("Enter second word: ");
String var2 = Scanner.nextLine();
if (same (var1, var2))
System.out.println("Yes");
else
System.out.println("No");
}
public static boolean same (String var1, String var2){
if (var1 == var2)
return true;
else
return false;
}
}
I have tried several times (clearly entering the same word) and the result is always False.
I don't know why this happens. What am I missing?
This is my first time in Java. I will appreciate any kind of help. Thanks
You should change
if (var1 == var2)
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
to
if (var1.equals(var2))
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
See this answer for the difference between the two
To be more accurate, with Strings in Java sometimes you can use == instead of .equals, if your string has been interned. Remember that == always compares the object references, not the contents of the object. Interning a String means that you will get the same object reference back and this is why == works with interned Strings.
Please read the Javadoc here to understand this more clearly:
String.intern()
In Java the == is a reference equality operator.
It works with the following.
String var1 = "hello";
String var2 = "hello";
boolean cmp = var1 == var2;
just because they are string literals and they are allocated in the same place inside the string table, so both variables point to the same string.
If you are fetching data from another source the strings are dynamically allocated, hence you should use the var1.equals(var2) (and you should ALWAYS use that one when comparing two objects).
Instead of if (same (var1, var2)) use if (v1.equals(v2)). No need to create a new method to compare two Strings. That's what equals() does.
== is used to compares references, not the contents of each String object.
The equality operator(==) checks the refernce of string first then checks value of string.
While equals method checks the value first.
So,in this case equals method should be used instead of equality operator.
String s="hello";
String s1="hello";
String s3=new String("hello")
In the above code snippet if you use If(s==s1){System.out.print("Equal");}it would print equal.But if you check If(s==s3){System.out.print("unqual");}it wouldn't print unequal.
so,you can see that even strings s and s3 are equal,output is wrong.Therefore,in this scenario like program in question
Equals method must be used.
var1 == var2
sometimes works because VM allocates the same memory both the variables for memory optimization and thus having same reference. That cannot be always the case so it's better to use
var1.equals(var2)
If you want to compare their values and doesnt care about reference.

how to check reference equality in an object which implements content equality?

...in other words:
let's suppose I have 2 Strings declared as so:
String one = new String("yay!");
String two = new String("yay!");
these two Strings are two different objects, but if I run
if(one.equals(two))
System.out.println("equals() returns true.");
I get "equals() returns true".
This is because the String class overrides the equals() method to implement a content level equality.
However, I need to access a reference level equality (like the one implemented in Object) to distinguish the object one form the object two.
How can I do that?
I tried this:
one.getClass().getSuperclass().equals();
to try to invoke the Object equals() method of the String one but it didn't work.
Any advice?
If you want to check reference just perform:
one == two
But be careful with strings. There is a thing called String constant pool so they may refer to the same object.
String in java uses a String Literal Pool, this means is: "When you try construct a string, first String class search in Literal Pool for traditional same string ,if exist return it, and if don't exist create it", so you can't check by equals method compare refernce of String instance, you have to use == operator as following:
String one = new String("yay!");
String two = new String("yay!");
if(one.equals(two))
System.out.println("equals() returns true.");
if(one == two)
System.out.println(" == operator returns true.");
result is :
equals() returns true.
see following link for more information:
http://blog.enrii.com/2006/03/15/java-string-equality-common-mistake/
Java String.equals versus ==
Use simple == comparison. However to avoid String interning you have to create your Strings using char arrays such as: String me = new String(new char[] { 'm', 'e' }); instead of using String literals "me" such as String me = new String("me");.
if (one == two)
System.out.println("one and two are the same object");
The only this you need is "==" equality operator.

("kg"=="kg") returns false. How Do I tell java, that this comparison returns true? [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
Closed 11 years ago.
Possible Duplicate:
Java string comparison?
I was trying to do this:
boolean exit = false;
while(exit==false && convStoreIndex<convStoreLength) {
if(conversionStore[convStoreIndex].getInUnit()==inUnit) {
indexCount++;
exit=true;
}
convStoreIndex++;
}
but the if-condition never went true, even if the two Strings were the same(checked this in the debugger).
so I added some lines:
boolean exit = false;
while(exit==false && convStoreIndex<convStoreLength) {
Log.v("conversionStore["+String.valueOf(convStoreIndex)+"]", conversionStore[convStoreIndex].getInUnit()+"|"+inUnit);
String cs = conversionStore[convStoreIndex].getInUnit();
String iu = inUnit;
Log.v("cs", cs);
Log.v("iu", iu);
Log.v("Ergebnis(cs==iu)", String.valueOf(cs==iu));
if(conversionStore[convStoreIndex].getInUnit()==inUnit) {
indexCount++;
exit=true;
}
convStoreIndex++;
}
and here is the extract from LogCat:
09-15 11:07:14.525: VERBOSE/cs(585): kg
09-15 11:07:16.148: VERBOSE/iu(585): kg
09-15 11:07:17.687: VERBOSE/Ergebnis(cs==iu)(585): false
the class of conversionStore:
class ConversionStore {
private String inUnit;
[...]
public String getInUnit() {
return inUnit;
}
}
Who is going crazy, java or me?
Don't use == to compare String objects, use .equals():
if(conversionStore[convStoreIndex].getInUnit().equals(inUnit)) {
To compare Strings for equality, don't use ==. The == operator checks
to see if two objects are exactly the same object. Two strings may be
different objects, but have the same value (have exactly the same
characters in them). Use the .equals() method to compare strings for
equality.
Straight from the first link Google provided when searching "Java string comparison"...
Please use String.equals() to compare by string content instead of reference identity.
You are comparing your Strings using == : cs==iu.
But this will return true only if both Strings are actually the same object. This is not the case here: you have two distinct instances of String that contain the same value.
You should use String.compareTo(String).
use .equals(); method instread of ==
Becase ::
They both differ very much in their significance. equals() method is present in the java.lang.Object class and it is expected to check for the equivalence of the state of objects! That means, the contents of the objects. Whereas the '==' operator is expected to check the actual object instances are same or not.
For example, lets say, you have two String objects and they are being pointed by two different reference variables s1 and s2.
s1 = new String("abc");
s2 = new String("abc");
Now, if you use the "equals()" method to check for their equivalence as
if(s1.equals(s2))
System.out.println("s1.equals(s2) is TRUE");
else
System.out.println("s1.equals(s2) is FALSE");
You will get the output as TRUE as the 'equals()' method check for the content equivality.
Lets check the '==' operator..
if(s1==s2)
System.out.printlln("s1==s2 is TRUE");
else
System.out.println("s1==s2 is FALSE");
Now you will get the FALSE as output because both s1 and s2 are pointing to two different objects even though both of them share the same string content. It is because of 'new String()' everytime a new object is created.
Try running the program without 'new String' and just with
String s1 = "abc";
String s2 = "abc";
You will get TRUE for both the tests.
Reson::
After the execution of String str1 = “Hello World!”; the JVM adds the string “Hello World!” to the string pool and on next line of the code, it encounters String str2 =”Hello World!”; in this case the JVM already knows that this string is already there in pool, so it does not create a new string. So both str1 and str2 points to the same string means they have same references. However, str3 is created at runtime so it refers to different string.
Two things:
You don't need to write "boolean==false" you can just write "!boolean" so in your example that would be:
while(!exit && convStoreIndex<convStoreLength) {
Second thing:
to compare two Strings use the String.equals(String x) method, so that would be:
if(conversionStore[convStoreIndex].getInUnit().equals(inUnit)) {

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