What is the difference between `==` and `.equals()` when comparing String objects in Java?

Question

Java Associate — Medium

What is the difference between `==` and `.equals()` when comparing String objects in Java?

Accepted Answer

In Java, `==` compares references, meaning it checks if two variables point to the same memory location. On the other hand, `.equals()` compares the actual content of the String objects. This is why when comparing Strings for equality, it's important to use `.equals()` instead of `==`.