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Thread: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

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    Default When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    Dear friends


    I am confuse in that When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java. Please provide me the solutions with an example.


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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    Why don't you come up with a few example programs that use each? If you post them as SSCCEs here, we can discuss what you find out.

    Alternatively, a google search of "java comparable vs comparator" came up with some promising results.
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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    <bleedin obvious>
    If you try to call a method that accepts a Comparator as a parameter then you have to use a Comparator and not Comparable. And vice-versa.
    </bleedin obvious>
    Improving the world one idiot at a time!

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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    Difference between Comparator and Comparable in Java
    1) Comparator in Java is defined in java.util package while Comparable interface in Java is defined in java.lang package.
    2) Comparator interface in Java has method public int compare (Object o1, Object o2) which returns a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as the first argument is less than, equal to, or greater than the second. While Comparable interface has method public int compareTo(Object o) which returns a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as this object is less than, equal to, or greater than the specified object.
    3) If you see then logical difference between these two is Comparator in Java compare two objects provided to him, while Comparable interface compares "this" reference with the object specified.
    4) Comparable in Java is used to implement natural ordering of object. In Java API String, Date and wrapper classes implement Comparable interface.
    5) If any class implement Comparable interface in Java then collection of that object either List or Array can be sorted automatically by using Collections.sort() or Array.sort() method and object will be sorted based on there natural order defined by CompareTo method.
    6)Objects which implement Comparable in Java can be used as keys in a sorted map or elements in a sorted set for example TreeSet, without specifying any Comparator.

    Also Please find below the examples for using the Comparator and Comparable Interface

    1) There is class called Person, sort the Person based on person_id.
    2) Sort the Person based on Name.

    For a Person class sorting based on person_id can be treated as natural order sorting and sorting based on Name can be implemented using Comparator interface. To sort based on person_id we need to implement compareTo() method.


    public class Person implements Comparable {
    private int person_id;
    private String name;

    /**
    * Compare current person with specified person
    * return zero if person_id for both person is same
    * return negative if current person_id is less than specified one
    * return positive if specified person_id is greater than specified one
    */
    public int compareTo(Person o) {
    return this.person_id - o.person_id ;
    }
    ….
    }

    And for sorting based on person name we can implement compare (Object o1, Object o2) method of Comparator in Java or Java Comparator class.

    public class PersonSortByPerson_ID implements Comparator{

    public int compare(Person o1, Person o2) {
    return o1.getPersonId() - o2.getPersonId();
    }
    }


    Thanks and Regards,
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Devki Kukde | dkukde@infocepts.com | www.infocepts.com
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    Quote Originally Posted by devkikukde View Post
    4) Comparable in Java is used to implement natural ordering of object. In Java API String, Date and wrapper classes implement Comparable interface.
    5) If any class implement Comparable interface in Java then collection of that object either List or Array can be sorted automatically by using Collections.sort() or Array.sort() method and object will be sorted based on there natural order defined by CompareTo method.
    These two are just as easily done with a Comparator.

    By the way, the links in your post are pretty close to spam- I'd not add them to future posts, if I were you.
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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    There are several difference between these 2 as mentioned by "devkikukde". I would rather focus on when we should use one of them.

    1- There is a scenario when you can not modify the object(Third party) in the question then you are left with only one option and that is "Comparator" because in order to use comparable your class needs to implements this interface. In simple word if you want to provide external order behvior you should go for comparator.

    2- With comparator you can provide more then 1 order behavior while this is not true for comparable.

    3- Comparable is used when your want to provide default ordering behaviour of the object in question.

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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    Quote Originally Posted by diyaots View Post
    Dear friends


    I am confuse in that When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java. Please provide me the solutions with an example.
    What is comparable and comparator and when to use comparable and comparator. To know these read this link. this will help you to understand their behavior and usage.

    ...link removed
    Last edited by copeg; October 26th, 2012 at 09:35 AM. Reason: link removed

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    Default Re: When to use Comparator and Comparable Interface in java

    Please don't resurrect a post that is over a year and a half old, especially to post a link to an external site - presumably to promote your own website. Doing so quickly places you into the category of posters called spam

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