Comparing String Objects with equals Methods

String Methods

We've compiled some helpful String methods below.

Methods that are part of the AP Computer Science A Java subset are denoted by the APCSA label.

A complete list of String methods can be found in the String API.

boolean equals(Object anObject)

This method returns

• true if the value of this String is the same as the String value of anObject. NOTE: All classes extend the Object class, meaning a String is an Object.
• false if the value of this String is not the same as theString value of anObject.

Your Turn

Let's try it in the Java Playground.

• Predict the value of value1 and value2.
• Run the code to determine whether your predictions are correct.

• value1 is assigned the value false since one of the words starts with an uppercase letter and the other starts with a lowercase letter.
• value2 is assigned the value true since they are the same word with all matching letters in the same case.

boolean equalsIgnoreCase(String anotherString)

This method is similar to the equals method, but doesn't distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters.

This method returns

• true if the value of this String is the same as the value of anotherString, while ignoring the difference between upper and lowercase letters.
• false if the value of this String is not the same as the Value of anotherString, while ignoring the difference between upper and lowercase letters.

Your Turn

Let's try it in the Java Playground.

• Predict the values for value1 and value2

• value1 is assigned the value true since the difference in uppper and lowercase letters to start the words is ignored.
• value2 is assigned the value true since they are the same word with all matching letters in the same case.

Complete List of String Learn Tutorials

• Learn: Declaring Strings
• Learn: Constructing a String
• Learn: String Indexing
• Learn: Comparing Strings with compareTo methods
• Learn: Comparing Strings with equals methods
• Learn: Creating Substrings
• Learn: Creaing a new String with the Case Changed

Resources

• Learn: Declaring Strings
• Learn: Introduction to Arithmetic Expressions
• Learn: Introduction to Console Input and Output
• Learn: Formatting Output with Escape Sequences and Text Blocks
• Practice: Evaluating Expressions that Use String Methods
• Practice: Write Code that Uses the String Methods
• Practice: AP Computer Science A String Free Response Questions

Next Learn Tutorial

• Learn: Creating Substrings