C# Academy · Lesson

Overloading Comparison Operators

Implement ==, !=, and ordering operators.

Lesson 2 of 413 steps

Overloading Comparison Operators is a free C# Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the C# Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

Comparison Operators and Equality

When you overload == you must also overload !=, and you should override Equals and GetHashCode to keep all forms of equality consistent. C# enforces the operator pairing at compile time.

Overloading == and !=

The compiler requires == and != to be defined together. Each returns a bool describing whether the operands are considered equal.

using System;

public struct Point
{
    public int X, Y;
    public Point(int x, int y) { X = x; Y = y; }

    public static bool operator ==(Point a, Point b) => a.X == b.X && a.Y == b.Y;
    public static bool operator !=(Point a, Point b) => !(a == b);

    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Point p && this == p;
    public override int GetHashCode() => HashCode.Combine(X, Y);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(new Point(1, 2) == new Point(1, 2));
        Console.WriteLine(new Point(1, 2) != new Point(3, 4));
    }
}

Always Override Equals Too

Operators are resolved at compile time by static type, but Equals is virtual and used by collections. Override Equals so dictionaries and List.Contains agree with your ==.

using System;

public struct Point
{
    public int X, Y;
    public Point(int x, int y) { X = x; Y = y; }
    public static bool operator ==(Point a, Point b) => a.X == b.X && a.Y == b.Y;
    public static bool operator !=(Point a, Point b) => !(a == b);
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Point p && this == p;
    public override int GetHashCode() => HashCode.Combine(X, Y);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        object a = new Point(1, 2);
        object b = new Point(1, 2);
        Console.WriteLine(a.Equals(b));
    }
}

GetHashCode Must Match Equality

If two values are equal, they must return the same hash code. Otherwise hash-based collections like Dictionary and HashSet will behave incorrectly.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public struct Point
{
    public int X, Y;
    public Point(int x, int y) { X = x; Y = y; }
    public static bool operator ==(Point a, Point b) => a.X == b.X && a.Y == b.Y;
    public static bool operator !=(Point a, Point b) => !(a == b);
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Point p && this == p;
    public override int GetHashCode() => HashCode.Combine(X, Y);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var set = new HashSet<Point> { new Point(1, 2) };
        Console.WriteLine(set.Contains(new Point(1, 2)));
    }
}

Ordering Operators < and >

You can also overload the relational operators. As with equality, < and > must be defined together, and likewise <= and >=.

using System;

public struct Weight
{
    public int Grams;
    public Weight(int g) { Grams = g; }

    public static bool operator <(Weight a, Weight b) => a.Grams < b.Grams;
    public static bool operator >(Weight a, Weight b) => a.Grams > b.Grams;

    public override string ToString() => Grams + "g";
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(new Weight(100) < new Weight(200));
        Console.WriteLine(new Weight(300) > new Weight(200));
    }
}

Equality for Reference Types

For classes, value equality means comparing fields rather than references. Handle null carefully to avoid throwing inside the operator.

using System;

public class Person
{
    public string Name;
    public Person(string name) { Name = name; }

    public static bool operator ==(Person a, Person b)
    {
        if (ReferenceEquals(a, b)) return true;
        if (a is null || b is null) return false;
        return a.Name == b.Name;
    }
    public static bool operator !=(Person a, Person b) => !(a == b);
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => this == (obj as Person);
    public override int GetHashCode() => Name?.GetHashCode() ?? 0;
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(new Person("Ann") == new Person("Ann"));
    }
}

Consistency Across Forms

All equality paths should agree: ==, Equals, and hash code. Implement == in terms of Equals (or vice versa) so there is one source of truth.

using System;

public struct Id
{
    public int Value;
    public Id(int value) { Value = value; }
    public bool Equals(Id other) => Value == other.Value;
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Id other && Equals(other);
    public override int GetHashCode() => Value;
    public static bool operator ==(Id a, Id b) => a.Equals(b);
    public static bool operator !=(Id a, Id b) => !a.Equals(b);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(new Id(7) == new Id(7));
        Console.WriteLine(new Id(7).Equals(new Id(8)));
    }
}

Operators vs Equals in Collections

List searching uses Equals, not ==, because it works with object references. If you only overload == and forget Equals, searches will use reference identity and may fail.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public struct Tag
{
    public string Name;
    public Tag(string name) { Name = name; }
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Tag t && t.Name == Name;
    public override int GetHashCode() => Name?.GetHashCode() ?? 0;
    public static bool operator ==(Tag a, Tag b) => a.Equals(b);
    public static bool operator !=(Tag a, Tag b) => !a.Equals(b);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var list = new List<Tag> { new Tag("red"), new Tag("blue") };
        Console.WriteLine(list.Contains(new Tag("blue")));
    }
}

Suppressing Compiler Warnings Properly

Overriding Equals and GetHashCode alongside operators is not just etiquette; the compiler warns if you overload == without overriding Equals. Doing both removes the warning and prevents bugs.

using System;

public struct Cell
{
    public int Row, Col;
    public Cell(int r, int c) { Row = r; Col = c; }
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Cell c && c.Row == Row && c.Col == Col;
    public override int GetHashCode() => HashCode.Combine(Row, Col);
    public static bool operator ==(Cell a, Cell b) => a.Equals(b);
    public static bool operator !=(Cell a, Cell b) => !a.Equals(b);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine(new Cell(0, 0) == new Cell(0, 0));
    }
}

Putting It All Together

A well-behaved equatable type defines ==, !=, overrides Equals and GetHashCode, and routes them all through one comparison. This is the gold standard for value-like types.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public struct Color
{
    public int R, G, B;
    public Color(int r, int g, int b) { R = r; G = g; B = b; }
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is Color c && c.R == R && c.G == G && c.B == B;
    public override int GetHashCode() => HashCode.Combine(R, G, B);
    public static bool operator ==(Color a, Color b) => a.Equals(b);
    public static bool operator !=(Color a, Color b) => !a.Equals(b);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var dict = new Dictionary<Color, string> { [new Color(255, 0, 0)] = "red" };
        Console.WriteLine(dict[new Color(255, 0, 0)]);
    }
}

Try It Yourself

Implement a fully consistent equatable struct and verify it works as a dictionary key and with the == operator at once.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public struct GridPos
{
    public int Row, Col;
    public GridPos(int r, int c) { Row = r; Col = c; }
    public override bool Equals(object obj) => obj is GridPos p && p.Row == Row && p.Col == Col;
    public override int GetHashCode() => HashCode.Combine(Row, Col);
    public static bool operator ==(GridPos a, GridPos b) => a.Equals(b);
    public static bool operator !=(GridPos a, GridPos b) => !a.Equals(b);
}

public class Program
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        var grid = new Dictionary<GridPos, string> { [new GridPos(1, 1)] = "player" };
        Console.WriteLine(new GridPos(1, 1) == new GridPos(1, 1));
        Console.WriteLine(grid[new GridPos(1, 1)]);
    }
}

Quick Check

Recall the rules for overloading equality.

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Recap

Overloading comparison operators demands consistency.

== and != must be defined together; likewise </>.
Override Equals and GetHashCode to match ==.
Equal values must share a hash code.
Route all equality through one comparison method to avoid drift.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Yes — the full text of “Overloading Comparison Operators” is free to read here on the web. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the C# Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO. The C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Overloading Comparison Operators”?

Implement ==, !=, and ordering operators. You practise C# Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

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No prior experience is required. C# Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 2 of 4.

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