What are the comparison operators in Java?

Comparison Operators in Java

Comparison operators in Java are used to compare two values and return a boolean result (true or false). These operators are essential for making decisions and controlling the flow of a program. Here are the comparison operators in Java:

1. Equal to (==): This operator checks if two values are equal. For example, 5 == 5 would return true, while 5 == 10 would return false.

2. Not equal to (!=): This operator checks if two values are not equal. For example, 5 != 10 would return true, while 5 != 5 would return false.

3. Greater than (>): This operator checks if the left operand is greater than the right operand. For example, 10 > 5 would return true, while 5 > 10 would return false.

4. Less than (<): This operator checks if the left operand is less than the right operand. For example, 5 < 10 would return true, while 10 < 5 would return false.

5. Greater than or equal to (>=): This operator checks if the left operand is greater than or equal to the right operand. For example, 10 >= 5 and 10 >= 10 would both return true.

6. Less than or equal to (<=): This operator checks if the left operand is less than or equal to the right operand. For example, 5 <= 10 and 5 <= 5 would both return true.

Here's a Mermaid diagram that visualizes the comparison operators in Java:

These comparison operators are commonly used in conditional statements, such as if-else statements, to make decisions based on the comparison results. For example:

int x = 10;
int y = 5;

if (x > y) {
    System.out.println("x is greater than y");
} else {
    System.out.println("y is greater than or equal to x");
}

In this example, the comparison operator > is used to check if x is greater than y. If the condition is true, the code inside the if block will be executed; otherwise, the code inside the else block will be executed.

Comparison operators are essential for building complex logic in Java programs, allowing developers to make decisions and control the flow of their applications. Understanding and effectively using these operators is a crucial skill for any Java programmer.