How can a Java variable be different from itself?

Question

I am wondering if this question can be solved in Java (I\'m new to the language). This is the code:

class Condition {
    // you can change in the main
    p         


        

Answer 1

One easy solution is:

System.out.println("Gotcha!");if(false)
if( a == a ){
  System.out.println("Not yet...");
} else {
  System.out.println("Gotcha!");
}

But I don't know all the rules to this riddle...

:) I know that this is a cheat, but without knowing all rules, is this the easiest solution to the question :)

Answer 2

Create your own class System in tha same package with Condition.
In this case your System class will hide java.lang.System class

class Condition
{
    static class System
    {
        static class out
        {
            static void println(String ignored)
            {
                java.lang.System.out.println("Not ok");
            }
        }
    }

    public static void main (String[] args) throws java.lang.Exception
    {
        int x = 0;
        if (x == x) 
        {
           System.out.println("Not ok");
        } 
        else 
        {
           System.out.println("Ok");
        }
    }
}  

Ideone DEMO

Answer 3

I managed to get a Gotcha! from this:

volatile Object a = new Object();

class Flipper implements Runnable {
  Object b = new Object();

  public void run() {
    while (true)  {
      Object olda = a;
      a = b;
      a = olda;
    }
  }

}

public void test() {
  new Thread(new Flipper()).start();

  boolean gotcha = false;
  while (!gotcha) {
    // I've added everything above this - I would therefore say still legal.
    if (a == a) {
      System.out.println("Not yet...");
    } else {
      System.out.println("Gotcha!");
      // Uncomment this line when testing or you'll never terminate.
      //gotcha = true;
    }
  }
}

Answer 4

There are so many solutions:

class A extends PrintStream {
    public A(PrintStream x) {super(x);}
    public void println(String x) {super.println("Not ok");}
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setOut(new A(System.out));
        int x = 0;
        if (x == x) {
            System.out.println("Ok");
        } else {
            System.out.println("Not ok");
        }
    }
}

Answer 5

By the Java Language Specifications NaN is not equal to NaN.

Therefore any line that caused x to be equal to NaN would cause this, such as

double x=Math.sqrt(-1);

From the Java Language Specifications:

Floating-point operators produce no exceptions (§11). An operation that overflows produces a signed infinity, an operation that underflows produces a denormalized value or a signed zero, and an operation that has no mathematically definite result produces NaN. All numeric operations with NaN as an operand produce NaN as a result. As has already been described, NaN is unordered, so a numeric comparison operation involving one or two NaNs returns false and any != comparison involving NaN returns true, including x!=x when x is NaN.

Answer 6

The replaced line could read.

double x = Double.NaN;

This would cause the gotcha to be printed.

Java Language Specification (JLS) says:

Floating-point operators produce no exceptions (§11). An operation that overflows produces a signed infinity, an operation that underflows produces a denormalized value or a signed zero, and an operation that has no mathematically definite result produces NaN. All numeric operations with NaN as an operand produce NaN as a result. As has already been described, NaN is unordered, so a numeric comparison operation involving one or two NaNs returns false and any != comparison involving NaN returns true, including x!=x when x is NaN.