Relational Operators

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Relational operators are used to compare two values.
They form the foundation of decision-making in Java.
Every comparison performed using these operators results in a boolean value — either true or false.

These operators are widely used in conditions, loops, filtering logic, and anywhere you need to make a choice based on data.

What are Relational Operators?

Relational operators allow us to check:

• Is one value greater than another?
• Are two values equal?
• Are they different?
• Is a value within a certain range?

The result of these comparisons determines the flow of your program.

Example:

int x = 6;
int y = 5;

boolean result = x > y; // true

This boolean value is often used inside if, while, or other conditional statements.

List of Relational Operators

Java provides six relational operators:

Important Notes About ==

• == checks value equality, not assignment.
• It compares whether the two values are the same.
• In contrast, = is the assignment operator (stores a value).

Example Program

Here’s a complete Java program demonstrating relational operators:

public class Hello {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int x = 6;
        int y = 5;

        boolean r1 = x < y;
        boolean r2 = x >= y;
        boolean r3 = x != y;
        boolean r4 = (x == y);

        System.out.println("x < y : " + r1);
        System.out.println("x >= y: " + r2);
        System.out.println("x != y: " + r3);
        System.out.println("x == y: " + r4);
    }
}

Output

x < y : false
x >= y: true
x != y: true
x == y: false

When Are Relational Operators Used?

Relational operators are essential in:

• if / else conditions
• while loops
• for loops
• switch conditions (indirectly)
• filtering data
• validations (age, limits, boundaries)

Example inside a condition:

if (x > y) {
    System.out.println("x is greater");
}

Key Notes (Recap)

• Relational operators always return true or false.
• == compares values, not assignment.
• Commonly used in decision-making statements.
• Play a crucial role in controlling program flow.