difference between Java compare and compareTo methods

kpachopoulos · 09-19-2004, 03:59 AM

Does anybody know the differences between Java compare method (implements Comparator interface) and Java compareTo method (implements interface Comparable)?
The only obvious difference, which i have understood, is that that "compare" uses 2 arguments, while "compareTo" uses 1 argument.

mirradric · 09-19-2004, 04:03 AM

precisely.
A comparable is an object which knows can can compare itself with other objects.
A comparator compares two other objects which need not know how to compare themselves with other objects.

mirradric · 09-19-2004, 04:08 AM

or should i say an instance of