How to compare a CharSequence to a String - Android

Question

I have a class that places a text into an arrayList. Then it makes all the variables into CharSequences, when I try to compare the variables to a String such as == "test"; it doesn't work here is my code that I use to get the variables

class Item {
            String descs;

            public Item (String descs){

                 this.descs = descs;

                 }


            public CharSequence getDescs() {
                return descs;
            }
        }

This is the code that compares it to the String

 if(p.getDescs().toString() == "trash"){

          descsView.setVisibility(View.GONE);

                            }

          else{
              descsView.setText(p.getDescs());

                            }

I know for a fact that p.getDescs() is equal to trash because when it sets the text for descsView it is set to trash. SO why doesn't the first if statement work?

I am reopening this question because the [supposed duplicate](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/513832/how-do-i-compare-strings-in-java) does not deal `CharSequence`. There are valid cases when `.equals` could return false not because the content is different, but because one is a `String` and the other is a `StringBuilder`. — Suragch, Nov 10 '17 at 12:11

score 18 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:32

18

Use .equals or .equalsIgnoreCase to compare strings

     if(p.getDescs().toString().equals("trash"))

Also check this

What is the difference between == vs equals() in Java?

edited May 23 '17 at 12:32

Community

1
1

answered Sep 09 '13 at 02:48

Raghunandan

132,755
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score 16 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 10 '17 at 12:45

Intro

A CharSequence is a general type that includes other types like String, StringBuilder, SpannableString, and others. If you are comparing two strings you can just use .equals (see this question). But if you are comparing a String to a CharSequence, you have to decide what it is you want to compare, since you might be comparing a String to a StringBuilder or a SpannableString or something else.

Compare content only

If you only want to compare the content (ie, text) of a String to the content of the CharSequence, but you don't care about the type, then you can use String.contentEquals().

String myString = "hello";
CharSequence myCharSequence = new StringBuilder("hello");

boolean areEqual = myString.contentEquals(myCharSequence); // true

Compare content and type

If you also want to make sure the types are the same in addition to the content, then use String.equals().

String myString = "hello";
CharSequence myCharSequence = new StringBuilder("hello");

boolean areEqual = myString.equals(myCharSequence); // false

Here it is again with the same types.

String myString = "hello";
CharSequence myCharSequence = "hello"; // String

boolean areEqual = myString.equals(myCharSequence); // true

How to compare a CharSequence to a String - Android

6 Answers6

Intro

Compare content only

Compare content and type

See also

may through error on Runtime