Package java.lang

Interface Comparable<T>

All Known Subinterfaces:
Delayed, RunnableScheduledFuture<V>, ScheduledFuture<V>
All Known Implementing Classes:
Authenticator.RequestorType, BigDecimal, BigInteger, Bits, Boolean, Byte, ByteBuffer, Calendar, Character, CharBuffer, Charset, ClientInfoStatus, CollationKey, CollationKeyICU, Date, Date, Double, DoubleBuffer, ElementType, Enum, File, Float, FloatBuffer, Formatter.BigDecimalLayoutForm, GregorianCalendar, IntBuffer, Integer, KeyRep.Type, Long, LongBuffer, MappedByteBuffer, Normalizer.Form, ObjectStreamField, OpenSSLCipher.Mode, OpenSSLCipher.Padding, PKIFailureInfo, PKIStatus, Proxy.Type, ResponseSource, RetentionPolicy, RoundingMode, RouteInfo.LayerType, RouteInfo.TunnelType, RowIdLifetime, Short, ShortBuffer, SSLEngineResult.HandshakeStatus, SSLEngineResult.Status, String, TestLevel, Thread.State, Time, Timestamp, TimeUnit, URI, UUID
public interface Comparable<T>
This interface should be implemented by all classes that wish to define a natural order of their instances. Collections.sort(java.util.List<T>) and java.util.Arrays#sort can then be used to automatically sort lists of classes that implement this interface.

The order rule must be both transitive (if x.compareTo(y) < 0 and y.compareTo(z) < 0, then x.compareTo(z) < 0 must hold) and invertible (the sign of the result of x.compareTo(y) must be equal to the negation of the sign of the result of y.compareTo(x) for all combinations of x and y).

In addition, it is recommended (but not required) that if and only if the result of x.compareTo(y) is zero, then the result of x.equals(y) should be true.

  • Method Summary

    Modifier and Type Method Description
    int compareTo​(T another)
    Compares this object to the specified object to determine their relative order.

  • Method Details

    • compareTo

      int compareTo​(T another)
      Compares this object to the specified object to determine their relative order.
      Parameters:
      another - the object to compare to this instance.
      Returns:
      a negative integer if this instance is less than another; a positive integer if this instance is greater than another; 0 if this instance has the same order as another.
      Throws:
      ClassCastException - if another cannot be converted into something comparable to this instance.