How do you compare two version Strings in Java?

Question

Is there a standard idiom for comparing version numbers? I can't just use a straight String compareTo because I don't know yet what the maximum number of point releases there will be. I need to compare the versions and have the following hold true:

1.0 < 1.1
1.0.1 < 1.1
1.9 < 1.10

Answer 1

public class VersionComparator {

    /* loop through both version strings
     * then loop through the inner string to computer the val of the int
     * for each integer read, do num*10+<integer read>
     * and stop when stumbling upon '.'
     * When '.' is encountered...
     * see if '.' is encountered for both strings
     * if it is then compare num1 and num2 
     * if num1 == num2... iterate over p1++, p2++
     * else return (num1 > num2) ? 1 : -1
     * If both the string end then compare(num1, num2) return 0, 1, -1
     * else loop through the longer string and 
     * verify if it only has trailing zeros
     * If it only has trailing zeros then return 0
     * else it is greater than the other string
     */
    public static int compareVersions(String v1, String v2) {
        int num1 = 0;
        int num2 = 0;
        int p1 = 0;
        int p2 = 0;

        while (p1 < v1.length() && p2 < v2.length()) {
            num1 = Integer.parseInt(v1.charAt(p1) + "");
            num2 = Integer.parseInt(v2.charAt(p2) + "");
            p1++;
            p2++;

            while (p1 < v1.length() && p2 < v2.length() && v1.charAt(p1) != '.' && v2.charAt(p2) != '.') {
                if (p1 < v1.length()) num1 = num1 * 10 + Integer.parseInt(v1.charAt(p1) + "");
                if (p2 < v2.length()) num2 = num2 * 10 + Integer.parseInt(v2.charAt(p2) + "");
                p1++;
                p2++;
            }

            if (p1 < v1.length() && p2 < v2.length() && v1.charAt(p1) == '.' && v2.charAt(p2) == '.') {
                if ((num1 ^ num2) == 0) {
                    p1++;
                    p2++;
                }
                else return (num1 > num2) ? 1 : -1;
            }
            else if (p1 < v1.length() && p2 < v2.length() && v1.charAt(p1) == '.') return -1;
            else if (p1 < v1.length() && p2 < v2.length() && v2.charAt(p2) == '.') return 1;
        }

        if (p1 == v1.length() && p2 == v2.length()) {
            if ((num1 ^ num2) == 0) return 0;
            else return (num1 > num2) ? 1 : -1;
        }
        else if (p1 == v1.length()) {
            if ((num1 ^ num2) == 0) {
                while (p2 < v2.length()) {
                    if (v2.charAt(p2) != '.' && v2.charAt(p2) != '0') return -1;
                    p2++;
                }
                return 0;
            }
            else return (num1 > num2) ? 1 : -1;
        }
        else {
            if ((num1 ^ num2) == 0) {
                while (p1 < v1.length()) {
                    if (v1.charAt(p1) != '.' && v1.charAt(p1) != '0') return 1;
                    p1++;
                }
                return 0;
            }
            else return (num1 > num2) ? 1 : -1;
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.23", "11.21.1.0.0.1.0") ^ 1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.21.1.0.0.1.0", "11.23") ^ -1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.23", "11.23.0.0.0.1.0") ^ -1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.2", "11.23") ^ -1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.23", "11.21.1.0.0.1.0") ^ 1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("1.21.1.0.0.1.0", "2.23") ^ -1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.23", "11.21.1.0.0.1.0") ^ 1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.23.0.0.0.0.0", "11.23") ^ 0);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("11.23", "11.21.1.0.0.1.0") ^ 1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("1.5.1.3", "1.5.1.3.0") ^ 0);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("1.5.1.4", "1.5.1.3.0") ^ 1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("1.2.1.3", "1.5.1.3.0") ^ -1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("1.2.1.3", "1.22.1.3.0") ^ -1);
        System.out.println(compareVersions("1.222.1.3", "1.22.1.3.0") ^ 1);
    }
}

Answer 2

Another solution for this old post (for those that it might help) :

public class Version implements Comparable<Version> {

    private String version;

    public final String get() {
        return this.version;
    }

    public Version(String version) {
        if(version == null)
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Version can not be null");
        if(!version.matches("[0-9]+(\\.[0-9]+)*"))
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid version format");
        this.version = version;
    }

    @Override public int compareTo(Version that) {
        if(that == null)
            return 1;
        String[] thisParts = this.get().split("\\.");
        String[] thatParts = that.get().split("\\.");
        int length = Math.max(thisParts.length, thatParts.length);
        for(int i = 0; i < length; i++) {
            int thisPart = i < thisParts.length ?
                Integer.parseInt(thisParts[i]) : 0;
            int thatPart = i < thatParts.length ?
                Integer.parseInt(thatParts[i]) : 0;
            if(thisPart < thatPart)
                return -1;
            if(thisPart > thatPart)
                return 1;
        }
        return 0;
    }

    @Override public boolean equals(Object that) {
        if(this == that)
            return true;
        if(that == null)
            return false;
        if(this.getClass() != that.getClass())
            return false;
        return this.compareTo((Version) that) == 0;
    }

}

---

Version a = new Version("1.1");
Version b = new Version("1.1.1");
a.compareTo(b) // return -1 (a<b)
a.equals(b)    // return false

Version a = new Version("2.0");
Version b = new Version("1.9.9");
a.compareTo(b) // return 1 (a>b)
a.equals(b)    // return false

Version a = new Version("1.0");
Version b = new Version("1");
a.compareTo(b) // return 0 (a=b)
a.equals(b)    // return true

Version a = new Version("1");
Version b = null;
a.compareTo(b) // return 1 (a>b)
a.equals(b)    // return false

List<Version> versions = new ArrayList<Version>();
versions.add(new Version("2"));
versions.add(new Version("1.0.5"));
versions.add(new Version("1.01.0"));
versions.add(new Version("1.00.1"));
Collections.min(versions).get() // return min version
Collections.max(versions).get() // return max version

// WARNING
Version a = new Version("2.06");
Version b = new Version("2.060");
a.equals(b)    // return false

---

Edit:

@daiscog: Thank you for your remark, this piece of code has been developed for the Android platform and as recommended by Google, the method "matches" check the entire string unlike Java that uses a regulatory pattern. (Android documentation - JAVA documentation)

Answer 3

For Scala you can use a library that I made: https://github.com/kypeli/sversion

Version("1.2") > Version("1.1")       // true
Version("1.2.1") > Version("1.1.2")   // true
Version("1.1.1") == Version("1.1.1")  // true
Version("1.1.1") > Version("1.1")     // true
Version("1.1.0") == Version("1.1")    // true
Version("1.1-RC2") > Version("1.1-RC1")  // true
Version("1.1-RC1") > Version("1.1")   // true

Answer 4

/**  
 *  written by: Stan Towianski - May 2018 
 * notes: I make assumption each of 3 version sections a.b.c is not longer then 4 digits: aaaa.bbbb.cccc-MODWORD1(-)modnum2
 * 5.10.13-release-1 becomes 0000500100013.501     6.0-snapshot becomes 0000600000000.100
 * MODWORD1 = -xyz/NotMatching, -SNAPSHOT, -ALPHA, -BETA, -RC, -RELEASE/nothing  return:  .0, .1, .2, .3, .4, .5
 * modnum2 = up to 2 digit/chars second version
 * */
public class VersionCk {

    private static boolean isVersionHigher( String baseVersion, String testVersion )
        {
        System.out.println( "versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =" + versionToComparable( baseVersion ) );
        System.out.println( "versionToComparable( testVersion ) =" + versionToComparable( testVersion ) + " is this higher ?" );
        return versionToComparable( testVersion ).compareTo( versionToComparable( baseVersion ) ) > 0;
        }

    //----  not worrying about += for something so small
    private static String versionToComparable( String version )
        {
//        System.out.println("version - " + version);
        String versionNum = version;
        int at = version.indexOf( '-' );
        if ( at >= 0 )
            versionNum = version.substring( 0, at );

        String[] numAr = versionNum.split( "\\." );
        String versionFormatted = "0";
        for ( String tmp : numAr )
            {
            versionFormatted += String.format( "%4s", tmp ).replace(' ', '0');
            }
        while ( versionFormatted.length() < 12 )  // pad out to aaaa.bbbb.cccc
            {
            versionFormatted += "0000";
            }
//        System.out.println( "converted min version =" + versionFormatted + "=   : " + versionNum );
        return versionFormatted + getVersionModifier( version, at );
        }

    //----  use order low to high: -xyz, -SNAPSHOT, -ALPHA, -BETA, -RC, -RELEASE/nothing  returns: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
    private static String getVersionModifier( String version, int at )
        {
//        System.out.println("version - " + version );
        String[] wordModsAr = { "-SNAPSHOT", "-ALPHA", "-BETA", "-RC", "-RELEASE" };        

        if ( at < 0 )
            return "." + wordModsAr.length + "00";   // make nothing = RELEASE level

        int i = 1;
        for ( String word : wordModsAr )
            {
            if ( ( at = version.toUpperCase().indexOf( word ) ) > 0 )
                return "." + i + getSecondVersionModifier( version.substring( at + word.length() ) );
            i++;
            }

        return ".000";
        }

    //----  add 2 chars for any number after first modifier.  -rc2 or -rc-2   returns 02
    private static String getSecondVersionModifier( String version )
        {
        System.out.println( "second modifier =" + version + "=" );
        Matcher m = Pattern.compile("(.*?)(\\d+).*").matcher( version );
//        if ( m.matches() )
//            System.out.println( "match ? =" + m.matches() + "=   m.group(1) =" + m.group(1) + "=   m.group(2) =" + m.group(2) + "=   m.group(3) =" + (m.groupCount() >= 3 ? m.group(3) : "x") );
//        else
//            System.out.println( "No match" );
        return m.matches() ? String.format( "%2s", m.group(2) ).replace(' ', '0') : "00";
        }

    public static void main(String[] args) 
        {
        checkVersion( "3.10.0", "3.4.0");
        checkVersion( "5.4.2", "5.4.1");
        checkVersion( "5.4.4", "5.4.5");
        checkVersion( "5.4.9", "5.4.12");
        checkVersion( "5.9.222", "5.10.12");
        checkVersion( "5.10.12", "5.10.12");
        checkVersion( "5.10.13", "5.10.14");
        checkVersion( "6.7.0", "6.8");
        checkVersion( "6.7", "2.7.0");
        checkVersion( "6", "6.3.1");
        checkVersion( "4", "4.0.0");
        checkVersion( "6.3.0", "6");
        checkVersion( "5.10.12-Alpha", "5.10.12-beTA");
        checkVersion( "5.10.13-release", "5.10.14-beta");
        checkVersion( "6.7.0", "6.8-snapshot");
        checkVersion( "6.7.1", "6.7.0-release");
        checkVersion( "6-snapshot", "6.0.0-beta");
        checkVersion( "6.0-snapshot", "6.0.0-whatthe");
        checkVersion( "5.10.12-Alpha-1", "5.10.12-alpha-2");
        checkVersion( "5.10.13-release-1", "5.10.13-release2");
        checkVersion( "10-rc42", "10.0.0-rc53");
        }

    private static void checkVersion(String baseVersion, String testVersion) 
        {
        System.out.println( "baseVersion - " + baseVersion );
        System.out.println( "testVersion - " + testVersion );
        System.out.println( "isVersionHigher = " + isVersionHigher( baseVersion, testVersion ) );
        System.out.println( "---------------");
        }

    }

some output:

---------------
baseVersion - 6.7
testVersion - 2.7.0
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600070000.500
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000200070000.500 is this higher ?
isVersionHigher = false
---------------
baseVersion - 6
testVersion - 6.3.1
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600000000.500
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000600030001.500 is this higher ?
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 4
testVersion - 4.0.0
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000400000000.500
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000400000000.500 is this higher ?
isVersionHigher = false
---------------
baseVersion - 6.3.0
testVersion - 6
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600030000.500
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000600000000.500 is this higher ?
isVersionHigher = false
---------------
baseVersion - 5.10.12-Alpha
testVersion - 5.10.12-beTA
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000500100012.200
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000500100012.300 is this higher ?
second modifier ==
second modifier ==
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 5.10.13-release
testVersion - 5.10.14-beta
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000500100013.500
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000500100014.300 is this higher ?
second modifier ==
second modifier ==
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 6.7.0
testVersion - 6.8-snapshot
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600070000.500
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000600080000.100 is this higher ?
second modifier ==
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 6.7.1
testVersion - 6.7.0-release
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600070001.500
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000600070000.500 is this higher ?
second modifier ==
isVersionHigher = false
---------------
baseVersion - 6-snapshot
testVersion - 6.0.0-beta
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600000000.100
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000600000000.300 is this higher ?
second modifier ==
second modifier ==
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 6.0-snapshot
testVersion - 6.0.0-whatthe
second modifier ==
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000600000000.100
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000600000000.000 is this higher ?
second modifier ==
isVersionHigher = false
---------------
baseVersion - 5.10.12-Alpha-1
testVersion - 5.10.12-alpha-2
second modifier =-1=
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000500100012.201
second modifier =-2=
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000500100012.202 is this higher ?
second modifier =-2=
second modifier =-1=
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 5.10.13-release-1
testVersion - 5.10.13-release2
second modifier =-1=
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0000500100013.501
second modifier =2=
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0000500100013.502 is this higher ?
second modifier =2=
second modifier =-1=
isVersionHigher = true
---------------
baseVersion - 10-rc42
testVersion - 10.0.0-rc53
second modifier =42=
versionToComparable( baseVersion ) =0001000000000.442
second modifier =53=
versionToComparable( testVersion ) =0001000000000.453 is this higher ?
second modifier =53=
second modifier =42=
isVersionHigher = true
---------------

Answer 5

Here's an optimized implementation:

public static final Comparator<CharSequence> VERSION_ORDER = new Comparator<CharSequence>() {

  @Override
  public int compare (CharSequence lhs, CharSequence rhs) {
    int ll = lhs.length(), rl = rhs.length(), lv = 0, rv = 0, li = 0, ri = 0;
    char c;
    do {
      lv = rv = 0;
      while (--ll >= 0) {
        c = lhs.charAt(li++);
        if (c < '0' || c > '9')
          break;
        lv = lv*10 + c - '0';
      }
      while (--rl >= 0) {
        c = rhs.charAt(ri++);
        if (c < '0' || c > '9')
          break;
        rv = rv*10 + c - '0';
      }
    } while (lv == rv && (ll >= 0 || rl >= 0));
    return lv - rv;
  }

};

Result:

"0.1" - "1.0" = -1
"1.0" - "1.0" = 0
"1.0" - "1.0.0" = 0
"10" - "1.0" = 9
"3.7.6" - "3.7.11" = -5
"foobar" - "1.0" = -1

Answer 6

If you already have Jackson in your project, you can use com.fasterxml.jackson.core.Version:

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.Version;
import org.junit.Test;

import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;

public class VersionTest {

    @Test
    public void shouldCompareVersion() {
        Version version1 = new Version(1, 11, 1, null, null, null);
        Version version2 = new Version(1, 12, 1, null, null, null);
        assertTrue(version1.compareTo(version2) < 0);
    }
}