class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String s1 = "Java";
        String s2 = "Python";
        String s3 = "java";
        // Compare strings lexicographically
        System.out.println("" + s1.compareToIgnoreCase(s2));
        System.out.println("" + s2.compareToIgnoreCase(s1)); 
        System.out.println("" + s1.compareToIgnoreCase(s3));  

Output
-6
Explanation: In the above example, "Java" comes before "Python" lexicographically, so the result is negative. "Python" comes after "Java", so the result is positive. "Java" is equal to "java" when ignoring case, so the result is zero.
Syntax of compareToIgnoreCase() Method
int compareToIgnoreCase(String s1)
Parameter: s1: The string to compare with the current string by ignoring the case differences.
Return Value: Based on the lexicographical order, this method returns an integer value
If both strings are equal (case-insensitive), it returns 0.
If the current string is lexicographically greater, it returns a positive number.
If the current string is lexicographically smaller, it returns a negative number.
Example 2: Here, we will use the compareToIgnoreCase() to check if two strings are equal, ignoring case differences.

    
class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String s1 = "JAVA";
        String s2 = "java";
        // Check equality ignoring case
        if (s1.compareToIgnoreCase(s2) == 0) {
            System.out.println("The strings are equal (case-insensitive).");
        } else {
            System




    
.out.println("The strings are not equal.");

Output
The strings are equal (case-insensitive).
Explanation: In the above example, the method returns 0 if the strings are equal when ignoring case.
Example 3: Here, the compareToIgnoreCase() method throws a NullPointerException if the string which is compared is null. 

    
// Handle NullPointerException
// using compareToIgnoreCase()
class Geeks {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String s1 = "Java";
        String s2 = null;
        try {
            // string comparison
            System.out.println(s1.compareToIgnoreCase(s2));
        } catch (NullPointerException e) {
            System.out.println("Cannot compare to a null string.");

Output
Cannot compare to a null string.
                                                                
Similar Reads
                                        
Java Tutorial  
Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language used to build web apps, mobile applications, and enterprise software systems. It is known for its Write Once, Run Anywhere capability, which means code written in Java can run on any device that supports the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).Java s
                    10 min read
                
Basics
Introduction to Java
Java is a high-level, object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems in 1995. It is platform-independent, which means we can write code once and run it anywhere using the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). Java is mostly used for building desktop applications, web applications, Android
                    4 min read
                
Java Programming Basics
Java is one of the most popular and widely used programming language and platform. A platform is an environment that helps to develop and run programs written in any programming language. Java is fast, reliable and secure. From desktop to web applications, scientific supercomputers to gaming console
                    4 min read
                
Java Methods
Java Methods are blocks of code that perform a specific task. A method allows us to reuse code, improving both efficiency and organization. All methods in Java must belong to a class. Methods are similar to functions and expose the behavior of objects.Example: Java program to demonstrate how to crea
                    7 min read
                
Access Modifiers in Java
In Java, access modifiers are essential tools that define how the members of a class, like variables, methods, and even the class itself, can be accessed from other parts of our program. They are an important part of building secure and modular code when designing large applications. In this article
                    6 min read
                
Arrays in Java
In Java, an array is an important linear data structure that allows us to store multiple values of the same type. Arrays in Java are objects, like all other objects in Java, arrays implicitly inherit from the java.lang.Object class. This allows you to invoke methods defined in Object (such as toStri
                    9 min read