Name comparison in java.lang.reflect.Method.equals(Object obj)

Question

Here's the implementation of `java.lang.reflect.Method.equals(Object obj)` as of Java 7: ``` /** * Compares this {@code Method} against the specified object. Returns * true if the objects are the same. Two {@code Methods} are the same if * they were declared by the same class and have the same name * and formal parameter types and return type. */ public boolean equals(Object obj) { if (obj != null && obj instanceof Method) { Method other = (Method)obj; if ((getDeclaringClass() == other.getDeclaringClass()) && (getName() == other.getName())) { if (!returnType.equals(other.getReturnType())) return false; /* Avoid unnecessary cloning */ Class[] params1 = parameterTypes; Class[] params2 = other.parameterTypes; if (params1.length == params2.length) { for (int i = 0; i < params1.length; i++) { if (params1[i] != params2[i]) return false; } return true; } } } return false; } ``` The most interesting part here is comparison of method names: `getName() == other.getName()`. Those return `j…

Accepted Answer

One thing interesting when you look directly on name attribute of Method class.

```
 // This is guaranteed to be interned by the VM in the 1.4
// reflection implementation
private String              name;
```

So by interning String you can directly compare reference.

Name comparison in java.lang.reflect.Method.equals(Object obj)

Solution

Problem