Comparing Java enum members: == or equals()?

In Java, it is generally recommended to use the equals() method to compare enum members, rather than the == operator.

Here's an example of how you can use the equals() method to compare enum members:

enum Color {
  RED, GREEN, BLUE
}

Color c1 = Color.RED;
Color c2 = Color.GREEN;
if (c1.equals(c2)) {
  // c1 and c2 are equal
} else {
  // c1 and c2 are not equal
}

The equals() method compares the values of the enum members, and will return true if the values are the same, and false otherwise.

On the other hand, the == operator compares the references of the enum members, and will return true only if the references point to the same object.

For example:

enum Color {
  RED, GREEN, BLUE
}

Color c1 = Color.RED;
Color c2 = Color.RED;
if (c1 == c2) {
  // c1 and c2 are equal (using ==)
} else {
  // c1 and c2 are not equal (using ==)
}

In this case, the == operator will return true, because both c1 and c2 are references to the same object (the RED enum member).

However, it is generally recommended to use the equals() method to compare enum members, as it is more reliable and easier to understand. Using the == operator can be error-prone, as it depends on the references of the enum members, which may not always be the same.