Object Class

Signature

public Boolean equals(Object obj)

Parameters

obj

Type: Object

The object with which to compare.

Return Value

Type: Boolean

Usage

If x, y, and z are non-null instances of a class, the equals method must be:

• Reflexive: x.equals(x)
• Symmetric: x.equals(y) returns true if and only if y.equals(x) returns true
• Transitive: If x.equals(y) returns true and y.equals(z) returns true, then x.equals(z) returns true
• Consistent: Multiple invocations of x.equals(y) consistently return true or consistently return false, provided the objects used in comparison are not modified.
• For any non-null reference value x, x.equals(null) returns false

1// obj1 and obj2 are instances of MyClass
2if (obj1 == obj2) {
3    // Do something
4}
5
6if (obj1.equals(obj2)) {
7    // Do something
8}

Signature

public Integer hashCode()

Return Value

Type: Integer

Usage

• If the hashCode method is invoked on the same object more than once during execution of an Apex request, it must return the same value.
  • The hash code value is same provided no information used in equals comparisons on the object is modified.
  • The hash code value need not remain consistent from one Apex execution request to another execution of the same application.
• If two objects are equal, based on the equals method, hashCode must return the same value.
• If two objects are unequal, based on the result of the equals method, it is not required that hashCode return distinct values.

Signature

public String toString()

Return Value

Type: String

Versioned Behavior Changes

In API version 57.0 and later, the toString() method only includes member variables of Apex objects that are visible in the current namespace. Non-global properties are suppressed from output when you invoke toString() on managed Apex types. To keep the non-global state of the object visible in debug output, you can explicitly override the toString() method.