Java Coding Problems

Lexicographical comparison

If all we want is a lexicographical comparison of the paths, then we can rely on the Path.compareTo() method (this can be useful for sorting).

This method returns the following information:

• 0 if the paths are equal
• A value less than zero if the first path is lexicographically less than the argument path
• A value greater than zero if the first path is lexicographically greater than the argument path:

int path1compareToPath2 = path1.compareTo(path2); // 0int path1compareToPath3 = path1.compareTo(path3); // 24int path2compareToPath3 = path2.compareTo(path3); // 24

Note that you may obtain different values than in the preceding example. Furthermore, in your business logic, it is important to rely on their meaning and ...