ValueType.Equals(Object) Method

Definition

Indicates whether this instance and a specified object are equal.

public:
 override bool Equals(System::Object ^ obj);
public override bool Equals (object obj);
public override bool Equals (object? obj);
override this.Equals : obj -> bool
Public Overrides Function Equals (obj As Object) As Boolean

Parameters

obj
Object

The object to compare with the current instance.

Returns

true if obj and this instance are the same type and represent the same value; otherwise, false.

Examples

The following example demonstrates how the Equals method can be overridden by a derived value type.

public ref struct Complex
{
public:
   double m_Re;
   double m_Im;
   virtual bool Equals( Object^ ob ) override
   {
      if ( dynamic_cast<Complex^>(ob) )
      {
         Complex^ c = dynamic_cast<Complex^>(ob);
         return m_Re == c->m_Re && m_Im == c->m_Im;
      }
      else
      {
         return false;
      }
   }

   virtual int GetHashCode() override
   {
      return m_Re.GetHashCode() ^ m_Im.GetHashCode();
   }
};
public struct Complex
{
    public double m_Re;
    public double m_Im;

    public override bool Equals( object ob ){
        if( ob is Complex ) {
            Complex c = (Complex) ob;
            return m_Re==c.m_Re && m_Im==c.m_Im;
        }
        else {
            return false;
        }
    }

    public override int GetHashCode(){
        return m_Re.GetHashCode() ^ m_Im.GetHashCode();
    }
}
type Complex() =
    member val m_Re = 0. with get, set
    member val m_Im = 0. with get, set

    override this.Equals(ob) =
        match ob with
        | :? Complex as c ->
            this.m_Re = c.m_Re && this.m_Im = c.m_Im
        | _ -> false
        
    override this.GetHashCode() =
        this.m_Re.GetHashCode() ^^^ this.m_Im.GetHashCode()
Public Structure Complex
   Private m_Re As Double
   Private m_Im As Double
       
   Public Overloads Function Equals(ob As Object) As Boolean
      If TypeOf ob Is Complex Then
         Dim c As Complex = CType(ob, Complex)
         Return m_Re = c.m_Re And m_Im = c.m_Im
      Else
         Return False
      End If
   End Function
   
   
   Public Overloads Function GetHashCode() As Integer
      Return m_Re.GetHashCode() ^ m_Im.GetHashCode()
   End Function

End Structure

Remarks

The ValueType.Equals(Object) method overrides Object.Equals(Object) and provides the default implementation of value equality for all value types in .NET.

The default implementation calls Object.Equals(Object) on each field of the current instance and obj and returns true if all fields are equal.

Tip

Particularly if your value type contains fields that are reference types, you should override the Equals(Object) method. This can improve performance and enable you to more closely represent the meaning of equality for the type.

Notes for the Windows Runtime

When you call the Equals method on a Windows Runtime structure, it provides the default behavior for value types that don't override Equals. This is part of the support that .NET provides for the Windows Runtime (see .NET Support for Windows Store Apps and Windows Runtime). Windows Runtime structures can't override Equals, even if they're written with C# or Visual Basic, because they can't have methods. (In addition, structures in the Windows Runtime itself don't inherit ValueType.) However, they appear to have ToString, Equals, and GetHashCode methods when you use them in your C# or Visual Basic code, and .NET provides the default behavior for these methods.

Applies to