Please help me in understanding hashcode()

Question

I have some doubt with hashcode(), please help me in understanding.
As it is always advised that whenever you override equals() method, override even hashcode(). As equals() returns the equality of two objects i.e it returns whether two objects are equal or not. The hashcode(), returns int value, i.e if two objects are equal than both hashcode will be same.
Now my question is:
1. When equals() method is comparing 2 objects and returning whethere both are equal or not. Then why we need this hashcode().
2. When this hashcode(), is going to be call?
Please tell me Whatever I understood is right or not....

Answer 1

rajalakshmi wrote:
2. When this hashcode(), is going to be call?
equals() method will implicitly call hashCode() method to compare objects.No it won't. Where did you get that?
Here is the actual code to Strings equals method
    public boolean equals(Object anObject) {
     if (this == anObject) {
         return true;
     if (anObject instanceof String) {
         String anotherString = (String)anObject;
         int n = count;
         if (n == anotherString.count) {
          char v1[] = value;
          char v2[] = anotherString.value;
          int i = offset;
          int j = anotherString.offset;
          while (n-- != 0) {
              if (v1[i++] != v2[j++])
               return false;
          return true;
     return false;
    }Now, where is hashCode called there?