Java – Using == Operator to Compare Wrapper Objects

equalsintegerjavaoperator-keywordwrapper

I'm reading SCJP Java 6 by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates and this book is confusing me so much. On page 245 they state that the following code below.

Integer i1 = 1000;
Integer i2 = 1000;
if(i1 != i2)
System.out.println("different objects");

//Prints output
different objects

Then on the very next page they have the following code

Integer i3 = 10;
Integer i4 = 10;
if(i3 == i4)
System.out.println("same objects");

//Prints output
same objects

I'm so confused! When I try this out on my own it seems that you cannot use the == to compare the same way you would use equals() method. Using the == always gives me 'false' even if the Integer variables are set to the same value (i.e. 10). Am I correct? Using the == to compare the same Integer object (with same values) will always result in 'false'

Best Answer

The key to the answer is called object interning. Java interns small numbers (less than 128), so all instances of Integer(n) with n in the interned range are the same. Numbers greater than or equal to 128 are not interned, hence Integer(1000) objects are not equal to each other.