Example: Char Array to String Comparison in Java

// Char Array to String Comparison
public class Main {
    /**
     * Compares two character arrays by first converting them to Strings.
     * Note: This approach is generally discouraged for sensitive data like passwords.
     */
    public static boolean areCharArraysEqualViaString(char[] arr1, char[] arr2) {
        // Step 1: Handle reference equality
        if (arr1 == arr2) {
            return true;
        }

        // Step 2: Handle null arrays before attempting String conversion
        // If one is null and the other isn't, they are not equal.
        // If both are null, arr1 == arr2 handles it.
        if (arr1 == null || arr2 == null) {
            return false;
        }

        // Step 3: Convert char arrays to String objects
        String s1 = new String(arr1);
        String s2 = new String(arr2);

        // Step 4: Use String's equals method for comparison
        return s1.equals(s2);
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        char[] data1 = {'s', 'e', 'c', 'r', 'e', 't'};
        char[] data2 = {'s', 'e', 'c', 'r', 'e', 't'};
        char[] data3 = {'s', 'e', 'c', 'r', 'e', 't', 's'};

        System.out.println("data1 vs data2: " + areCharArraysEqualViaString(data1, data2));
        System.out.println("data1 vs data3: " + areCharArraysEqualViaString(data1, data3));
        System.out.println("data1 vs null: " + areCharArraysEqualViaString(data1, null));
        System.out.println("null vs null: " + areCharArraysEqualViaString(null, null)); // Should be true if both null
    }
}