How does the compareTo method work in Java?

Can you explain how the compareTo method works in Java?

Sure! The compareTo method is used to compare two objects in Java. It returns a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer based on whether the first object is less than, equal to, or greater than the second object.

Can you give me an example of using compareTo with strings?

Absolutely! For example, if you have two strings, "apple" and "banana", calling "apple".compareTo("banana") will return a negative number because "apple" is lexicographically less than "banana".

What about using compareTo with custom objects?

When using compareTo with custom objects, you need to implement the Comparable interface in your class and define the compareTo method to specify the natural ordering of the objects.

Can you show me a code snippet for that?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

public class Person implements Comparable<Person> {
    String name;
    int age;

    public Person(String name, int age) {
        this.name = name;
        this.age = age;
    }

    @Override
    public int compareTo(Person other) {
        return this.age - other.age; // Compare by age
    }
}