String

[Puja S]

Hi,

public class Test {
public static void main ( String args [ ] ) {
if("String".trim() == "String")
System.out.println("Equal");
else
System.out.println("Not Equal");

}
}

The output of this code is Equal but when I change the code to

public class Test {
public static void main ( String args [ ] ) {
if(" String ".trim() == "String")
System.out.println("Equal");
else
System.out.println("Not Equal");

}
}

Why is this code giving an output of Not Equal . ( In the second code I'm giving spaces in the " String " ) .

Thanks.

[Pradeep bhatt]

The 2nd code is creating a new object.

[Puja S]

There is another code where I'm having doubt :

if("String".trim() == "String".trim())
System.out.println("Equal");
else
System.out.println("Not Equal");


The output of this code is Equal and when the code is changed to
" String ".trim( ) == " String ".trim( ).......the output is Not Equal.


Why ?

[Vipin Das]

Hi puja,
The new string objects will be returned only if there is anything to trim. If u give without any spaces at the ends, the same string will be returned, and therefore the strings will be equal. But if there are anything to trim a different string will be returned and they will become different objects. To understand this u must be aware of the string pool also.
-vipin

[Puja S]

Thanks Pradeep and Vipin........I got your point.

[Jeroen Wenting]

in other words: NEVER use == to compare Strings unless you explicitly intend to check whether two reference variables refer to the same memory location rather then whether they refer to memory with the same content.