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Object.Equals Method

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Definition

Namespace:
System
Assembly:
System.Runtime.dll
Assembly:
mscorlib.dll
Assembly:
netstandard.dll

Determines whether two object instances are equal.

Overloads

Equals(Object)

Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object.
Equals(Object, Object)

Determines whether the specified object instances are considered equal.

Equals(Object)

Source:
Object.cs
Source:
Object.cs
Source:
Object.cs

Determines whether the specified object is equal to the current object.

public:
 virtual bool Equals(System::Object ^ obj);
public virtual bool Equals (object obj);
public virtual bool Equals (object? obj);
abstract member Equals : obj -> bool
override this.Equals : obj -> bool
Public Overridable Function Equals (obj As Object) As Boolean

Parameters

obj
Object

The object to compare with the current object.

Returns

Boolean

true if the specified object is equal to the current object; otherwise, false.

Remarks

For more information about this API, see Supplemental API remarks for Object.Equals.

See also

Applies to

Equals(Object, Object)

Source:
Object.cs
Source:
Object.cs
Source:
Object.cs

Determines whether the specified object instances are considered equal.

public:
 static bool Equals(System::Object ^ objA, System::Object ^ objB);
public static bool Equals (object objA, object objB);
public static bool Equals (object? objA, object? objB);
static member Equals : obj * obj -> bool
Public Shared Function Equals (objA As Object, objB As Object) As Boolean

Parameters

objA
Object

The first object to compare.

objB
Object

The second object to compare.

Returns

Boolean

true if the objects are considered equal; otherwise, false. If both objA and objB are null, the method returns true.

Examples

The following example illustrates the Equals(Object, Object) method and compares it with the ReferenceEquals method.

using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      Dog m1 = new Dog("Alaskan Malamute");
      Dog m2 = new Dog("Alaskan Malamute");
      Dog g1 = new Dog("Great Pyrenees");
      Dog g2 = g1;
      Dog d1 = new Dog("Dalmation");
      Dog n1 = null;
      Dog n2 = null;

      Console.WriteLine("null = null: {0}", Object.Equals(n1, n2));
      Console.WriteLine("null Reference Equals null: {0}\n", Object.ReferenceEquals(n1, n2));

      Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}: {2}", g1, g2, Object.Equals(g1, g2));
      Console.WriteLine("{0} Reference Equals {1}: {2}\n", g1, g2, Object.ReferenceEquals(g1, g2));

      Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}: {2}", m1, m2, Object.Equals(m1, m2));
      Console.WriteLine("{0} Reference Equals {1}: {2}\n", m1, m2, Object.ReferenceEquals(m1, m2));

      Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}: {2}", m1, d1, Object.Equals(m1, d1));
      Console.WriteLine("{0} Reference Equals {1}: {2}", m1, d1, Object.ReferenceEquals(m1, d1));
   }
}

public class Dog
{
   // Public field.
   public string Breed;

   // Class constructor.
   public Dog(string dogBreed)
   {
      this.Breed = dogBreed;
   }

   public override bool Equals(Object obj)
   {
      if (obj == null || !(obj is Dog))
         return false;
      else
         return this.Breed == ((Dog) obj).Breed;
   }

   public override int GetHashCode()
   {
      return this.Breed.GetHashCode();
   }

   public override string ToString()
   {
      return this.Breed;
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       null = null: True
//       null Reference Equals null: True
//
//       Great Pyrenees = Great Pyrenees: True
//       Great Pyrenees Reference Equals Great Pyrenees: True
//
//       Alaskan Malamute = Alaskan Malamute: True
//       Alaskan Malamute Reference Equals Alaskan Malamute: False
//
//       Alaskan Malamute = Dalmation: False
//       Alaskan Malamute Reference Equals Dalmation: False

open System

// Class constructor
type Dog(dogBreed) =
    // Public property.
    member _.Breed = dogBreed

    override this.Equals(obj) =
        match obj with
        | :? Dog as dog when dog.Breed = this.Breed -> true
        | _ -> false

    override _.GetHashCode() =
        dogBreed.GetHashCode()

    override _.ToString() =
        dogBreed

let m1 = Dog "Alaskan Malamute"
let m2 = Dog "Alaskan Malamute"
let g1 = Dog "Great Pyrenees"
let g2 = g1
let d1 = Dog "Dalmation"
let n1 = Unchecked.defaultof<Dog>
let n2 = Unchecked.defaultof<Dog>

printfn $"null = null: {Object.Equals(n1, n2)}"
printfn $"null Reference Equals null: {Object.ReferenceEquals(n1, n2)}\n"

printfn $"{g1} = {g2}: {Object.Equals(g1, g2)}"
printfn $"{g1} Reference Equals {g2}: {Object.ReferenceEquals(g1, g2)}\n"

printfn $"{m1} = {m2}: {Object.Equals(m1, m2)}"
printfn $"{m1} Reference Equals {m2}: {Object.ReferenceEquals(m1, m2)}\n"

printfn $"{m1} = {d1}: {Object.Equals(m1, d1)}"
printfn $"{m1} Reference Equals {d1}: {Object.ReferenceEquals(m1, d1)}"

// The example displays the following output:
//       null = null: True
//       null Reference Equals null: True
//
//       Great Pyrenees = Great Pyrenees: True
//       Great Pyrenees Reference Equals Great Pyrenees: True
//
//       Alaskan Malamute = Alaskan Malamute: True
//       Alaskan Malamute Reference Equals Alaskan Malamute: False
//
//       Alaskan Malamute = Dalmation: False
//       Alaskan Malamute Reference Equals Dalmation: False

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim m1 As New Dog("Alaskan Malamute")
      Dim m2 As New Dog("Alaskan Malamute")
      Dim g1 As New Dog("Great Pyrenees")
      Dim g2 As Dog = g1
      Dim d1 As New Dog("Dalmation")
      Dim n1 As Dog = Nothing
      Dim n2 As Dog = Nothing
      
      Console.WriteLine("null = null: {0}", Object.Equals(n1, n2))
      Console.WriteLine("null Reference Equals null: {0}", Object.ReferenceEquals(n1, n2))
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}: {2}", g1, g2, Object.Equals(g1, g2))
      Console.WriteLine("{0} Reference Equals {1}: {2}", g1, g2, Object.ReferenceEquals(g1, g2))
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}: {2}", m1, m2, Object.Equals(m1, m2))
      Console.WriteLine("{0} Reference Equals {1}: {2}", m1, m2, Object.ReferenceEquals(m1, m2))
      Console.WriteLine()
      
      Console.WriteLine("{0} = {1}: {2}", m1, d1, Object.Equals(m1, d1))  
      Console.WriteLine("{0} Reference Equals {1}: {2}", m1, d1, Object.ReferenceEquals(m1, d1))  
   End Sub
End Module

Public Class Dog
   ' Public field.
   Public Breed As String
   
   ' Class constructor.
   Public Sub New(dogBreed As String)
      Me.Breed = dogBreed
   End Sub

   Public Overrides Function Equals(obj As Object) As Boolean
      If obj Is Nothing OrElse Not typeof obj Is Dog Then
         Return False
      Else
         Return Me.Breed = CType(obj, Dog).Breed
      End If   
   End Function
   
   Public Overrides Function GetHashCode() As Integer
      Return Me.Breed.GetHashCode()
   End Function
   
   Public Overrides Function ToString() As String
      Return Me.Breed
   End Function
End Class
' The example displays the following output:
'       null = null: True
'       null Reference Equals null: True
'       
'       Great Pyrenees = Great Pyrenees: True
'       Great Pyrenees Reference Equals Great Pyrenees: True
'       
'       Alaskan Malamute = Alaskan Malamute: True
'       Alaskan Malamute Reference Equals Alaskan Malamute: False
'       
'       Alaskan Malamute = Dalmation: False
'       Alaskan Malamute Reference Equals Dalmation: False

Remarks

The static Equals(Object, Object) method indicates whether two objects, objA and objB, are equal. It also enables you to test objects whose value is null for equality. It compares objA and objB for equality as follows:

  • It determines whether the two objects represent the same object reference. If they do, the method returns true. This test is equivalent to calling the ReferenceEquals method. In addition, if both objA and objB are null, the method returns true.

  • It determines whether either objA or objB is null. If so, it returns false.

  • If the two objects do not represent the same object reference and neither is null, it calls objA.Equals(objB) and returns the result. This means that if objA overrides the Object.Equals(Object) method, this override is called.

See also

Applies to