compare() is a static method of the Long class which is used to compare two long values.
public static int compare(long x, long y);
The function takes in two long values as parameters.
This method returns:
0 if both the values are the same.
A value less than zero, if x is less than y.
A value greater than zero, if the x is greater than y.
Case | Retturn Value |
x == y | 0 |
x < y | < 0 |
x > y | > 0 |
The example below uses the Long.compare() method.
class LongCompare {public static void main( String args[] ) {long ten = 10l;long twenty = 20l;System.out.println("ten, ten : " + Long.compare(ten, ten));System.out.println("twenty, twenty : " + Long.compare(twenty, twenty));System.out.println("ten, twenty : " + Long.compare(ten, twenty));System.out.println("twenty, ten : " + Long.compare(twenty, ten));}}
In the code above:
long variables:ten = 10l;
twenty = 20l;
compare() method of the Long class to compare the long values. First, we compared the same values:compare(ten,ten);
compare(twenty, twenty);
The compare() method returns 0 because both the compared values are the same.
Then, we compared ten with twenty:
compare(ten, twenty);
The compare() method returns a value < 0 because the first value is less than the second value.
Then, we compared twenty with ten:
compare(twenty, ten);
compare() method returns a value > 0 because the first value is greater than the second value.