= vs == java

Stuart 160 Published: 10/18/2024

= vs == java

I'm happy to explain the difference between = and == operators in Java!

The Equality Operator (==)

In Java, the double equals sign (==) is used to check whether two operands are equal or not. This operator compares the values of two expressions and returns a boolean value indicating whether they are identical or not.

When you use ==, Java checks if the two operands reference the same object in memory, which means they have the same identity. For primitive types like int, char, and boolean, this comparison is straightforward. However, for complex types like objects, it's more nuanced.

For example:

int x = 5;

int y = 5;

System.out.println(x == y); // prints: true

In the above example, x and y are both primitive int values with the same value (5). The == operator correctly returns true, indicating they are equal.

The Assignment Operator (=)

Now, let's talk about the single equals sign (=) - the assignment operator. This operator is used to assign a value to a variable. It doesn't check for equality; instead, it sets the variable to the new value.

When you use =, Java takes the right-hand side expression and assigns its value to the left-hand-side variable. For example:

int x = 5;

x = 10;

System.out.println(x); // prints: 10

In this example, we initially set x to 5, then assigned the new value 10 to x. The = operator updates the value of x.

Key Takeaways

== checks for object equality (whether two expressions reference the same object). = assigns a value to a variable. For primitive types like int, char, and boolean, both operators perform comparisons based on their values. For complex types like objects, == checks for object identity (whether they refer to the same instance), while = updates the object's state.

In summary, don't mix up the two! Use == for comparing values, and use = for assigning new values.

In Java

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