<ul data-eligibleForWebStory="true"><li>Calling .equals() on a variable that hasn’t been initialized can lead to a NullPointerException.</li><li>Flipping the order of the comparison can prevent a crash when using .equals().</li><li>Using a constant string with .equals() ensures the method call works safely.</li><li>The method .equals() belongs to the object on which it is called.</li><li>Calling null.equals() will result in a crash, while "hello".equals(null) returns false.</li><li>Understanding this can provide extra safety, particularly in critical applications.</li></ul>

Stop Crashing Your Java Apps with .equals() – Here's the Right Way to Use It

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