Actually, you can use == to compare strings but only if the strings are created by; String x = ""; and not by; String x = new String().
It has to do with the where java stores the string object (literal pool vs programmers space). But either way, you should always use the equals method to compare two object as long as the overriding equals method your using compares what you want it to compare. Alan Sparago [EMAIL PROTECTED] 602 494 9596 -----Original Message----- From: Jacob Kjome [mailto:hoju@;visi.com] Sent: Thursday, October 17, 2002 11:06 AM To: Tomcat Users List Subject: Re: expression ALWAYS evaluates to "if"... NEVER to "else" Hello Z.BEAT, If these are both java String objects then all you are comparing is if the memory location of string object #1 is the same as that of String object #2. This is probably not true. You need to compare like this. if (paramPassword.equals(secretCode)) { } else { } You can only count on the "==" operator to compare an object to null or to compare simple data types such as int, boolean, long, etc.... Jake Thursday, October 17, 2002, 12:57:35 PM, you wrote: ZB> In the following code snippet, the expression ALWAYS ZB> evaluates to the "if" statement block: ZB> String paramPassword = ZB> request.getParameter("paramPassword"); ZB> String secretCode = "secret"; ZB> if(paramPassword != secretCode) ZB> { ZB> } ZB> else ZB> { ZB> } ZB> However, my debugging flags that I send in an HTML ZB> comment CLEARLY show that the two variables have the ZB> same value: ZB> <!-- DEBUG FLAGS ZB> paramPassword: secret ZB> secretCode: secret -->> ZB> What is going on? Am I missing something obvious? ZB> Thanks! ZB> __________________________________________________ ZB> Do you Yahoo!? ZB> Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More ZB> http://faith.yahoo.com ZB> -- ZB> To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:tomcat-user-unsubscribe@;jakarta.apache.org> ZB> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:tomcat-user-help@;jakarta.apache.org> -- Best regards, Jacob mailto:hoju@;visi.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:tomcat-user-unsubscribe@;jakarta.apache.org> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:tomcat-user-help@;jakarta.apache.org> -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: <mailto:tomcat-user-unsubscribe@;jakarta.apache.org> For additional commands, e-mail: <mailto:tomcat-user-help@;jakarta.apache.org>
