Compare if BigDecimal is greater than zero

In Java, BigDecimal is a class used for accurate calculations with decimal numbers, giving precise results for complex maths. Unlike primitive data types like int, float, and double, BigDecimal is used to perform calculations on large decimal values while avoiding errors that occur during floating-point arithmetic.

In this blog, we will learn how to check if a BigDecimal value is greater than zero.

Table of Contents:

• Comparing if BigDecimal is greater than zero using the compareTo() function in Java
  • Practical Examples of Comparing BigDecimal to Zero in Java
    • Case 1: For greater than condition
    • Case 2: For equal condition
    • Case 3: For less than condition
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Comparing if BigDecimal is greater than zero using the compareTo() function in Java

In Java, To compare whether a BigDecimal value is greater than zero or not, we have to use the compareTo() function. In primitive data types we can do this comparison with the help of relational operators like: (<, >, <=, >=). But for BigDecimal values, we have to use the compareTo() function.

Syntax:

public int compareTo(BigDecimal val)

Parameters: It takes only one BigDecimal Object as a parameter.

Return Value:

• It returns 1 if the value is greater than the parameter value.
• It returns 0 if the value is equal to the parameter value.
• It returns -1 if the value is smaller than the parameter value.

Practical Examples of Comparing BigDecimal to Zero in Java

Let’s learn the concept of compareTo() method in Java with the help of some examples:

Case 1: For greater than condition

Let’s learn an example of greater than condition:

Code:

import java.math.BigDecimal;
public class BigDecimalComparisonExamples {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
       BigDecimal num1 = new BigDecimal("20.52");
        BigDecimal num2 = new BigDecimal("20.367896789");
        if (num1.compareTo(num2) > 0) {
            System.out.println(num1 + " is greater than " + num2);
        }
        else{
            System.out.println(num1 + " is lesser than " + num2);
        }
    }
}

Output:

20.52 is greater than 20.367896789

Explanation: In the above code, there are 2 decimal values num1 and num2, by comparing their values with the help of compareTo() function, the function returns 1, it means num1 is greater than num2.

Case 2: For equal condition

Let’s learn an example of equal to condition:

Code:

import java.math.BigDecimal;
public class BigDecimalComparisonExamples {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        BigDecimal num1 = new BigDecimal("20.5");
        BigDecimal num2 = new BigDecimal("20.500");
        if (num1.compareTo(num2) == 0) {
            System.out.println(num1 + " is equal to " + num2);
        }
        else{
            System.out.println(num1 + " is not equal to " + num2);
        }
    }
}

Output:

20.5 is equal to 20.500

Case 3: For less than condition

Let’s learn an example of less than condition:

Code:

import java.math.BigDecimal;
public class BigDecimalComparisonExamples {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        BigDecimal num1 = new BigDecimal("20.5456");
        BigDecimal num2 = new BigDecimal("20.6");
        if (num1.compareTo(num2) > 0) {
            System.out.println(num1 + " is greater than " + num2);
        }
        else{
            System.out.println(num1 + " is lesser than " + num2);
        }
    }
}

Output:

20.5456 is less than 20.6

Conclusion

So far in this article, we have learned BigDecimal and its comparison in Java. We have learned how to compare if a BigDecimal value is greater than zero or not. In primitive data types, we can do this comparison with the help of relational operators, while in BigDecimal, we have to use the CompreTo() function.

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FAQs