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Java Java Data Structures - Retired Organizing Data Interfaces

Jordan George
Jordan George
9,926 Points
Posted by Jordan George
Jordan George
9,926 Points

Why not use other.getCreationDate() instead of other.mCreationDate()?

So, while watching the video I was confused about why Craig was using mCreationDate() instead of getCreationDate() on the other object.

This didn't compile for me:

        int dateCmp = mCreationDate.compareTo(other. mCreationDate());
        if (dateCmp == 0) {
            return mDescription.compareTo(other.mDescription());
        }

This route compiled for me:

        int dateCmp = mCreationDate.compareTo(other.getCreationDate());
        if (dateCmp == 0) {
            return mDescription.compareTo(other.getDescription());
        }

1 Answer

Benjamin Barslev Nielsen
Benjamin Barslev Nielsen
18,958 Points
Benjamin Barslev Nielsen
Benjamin Barslev Nielsen
18,958 Points

In your first code sample:

return mDescription.compareTo(other.mDescription());

should be

return mDescription.compareTo(other.mDescription);

since mDescription is a field and not a method. other.mCreationDate() should also be other.mCreationDate.

You can access the fields of a class from inside that class, even though it is not the "this"-instance, and therefore we can use other.mCreationDate instead of using the other.getCreationDate().

Hope this helps.