Comparison operators
- Node.js course
- Beginner
- Lesson 26/116
- 4 min
Learn to compare values with ==, ===, !=, <, >, <= and >=.
Comparison operators
Comparison operators compare two values and return true or false: === (equal), !== (not equal), > (greater than), < (less than), >= (greater or equal), <= (less or equal).
For example, 5 > 3 returns true, 5 < 3 returns false. These operators are used in if conditions and loop conditions.
The result is a boolean; so it can also be assigned to a variable, like const canDrive = age >= 18.
=== vs ==
JavaScript has two equality operators: === (strict) and == (loose). === checks both value and type; == checks only value and does type coercion.
For example, 5 === '5' returns false (number and string are different types). But 5 == '5' returns true; because == converts the string to a number.
To avoid unexpected results, modern code always uses ===. Avoid ==.
Practice Comparison results
Declare a = 5 and b = '5'. Compare with console.log(a === b) and console.log(a == b). Also check console.log(a > 3).
Starter code
const a = 5;
const b = "5";
// Compare with ===, == and >
// Log all three with console.logSample solution
const a = 5;
const b = "5";
console.log(a === b);
console.log(a == b);
console.log(a > 3);Expected output
false true true
Questions and answers
Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.
1 Match the operators
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
=== |
Strict equality |
== |
Loose equality |
!== |
Strict inequality |
> |
Greater than |
2 What is the difference between === and ==?
- === checks both value and type, == only value Correct answer
- === only value, == both value and type
- They are the same
- === is for numbers, == for strings
Explanation: === checks value and type; == only value.
3 Strict equality
if (a ____ b) { console.log('equal'); }if (a === b) { console.log('equal'); }Explanation: === checks strict equality.