➕ C# Relational Operators – Compare Values and Control Logic

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🧲 Introduction – Why Use Relational Operators in C#?

Relational operators are used to compare two values and determine the relationship between them — such as equality, inequality, or relative size. They return a bool result (true or false), making them essential in conditional statements, loops, and logical decision-making.

🎯 In this guide, you’ll learn:

• The complete list of relational operators in C#
• Syntax and examples for each
• Common use cases in if, while, and for statements
• Tips and best practices to avoid logic errors

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🔍 Core Concept – What Are Relational Operators?

Relational operators (also called comparison operators) evaluate two operands and return a boolean result indicating their relationship.

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📚 List of Relational Operators

Operator	Symbol	Description	Example	Result
Equal to	==	Checks if equal	5 == 5	true
Not equal	!=	Checks if not equal	5 != 3	true
Greater than	>	Checks if left > right	7 > 3	true
Less than	<	Checks if left < right	2 < 5	true
Greater or equal	>=	Checks left ≥ right	5 >= 5	true
Less or equal	<=	Checks left ≤ right	4 <= 6	true

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💻 Code Example – Using Relational Operators

using System;

class RelationalDemo
{
    static void Main()
    {
        int a = 10, b = 5;

        Console.WriteLine($"a == b: {a == b}");
        Console.WriteLine($"a != b: {a != b}");
        Console.WriteLine($"a > b: {a > b}");
        Console.WriteLine($"a < b: {a < b}");
        Console.WriteLine($"a >= b: {a >= b}");
        Console.WriteLine($"a <= b: {a <= b}");
    }
}

📤 Output:

a == b: False  
a != b: True  
a > b: True  
a < b: False  
a >= b: True  
a <= b: False

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🧠 Use Case – Conditional Logic

int age = 18;

if (age >= 18)
{
    Console.WriteLine("You are eligible to vote.");
}
else
{
    Console.WriteLine("You are not eligible.");
}

✅ Commonly used in:

• if/else conditions
• while, for loop limits
• Input validation
• Filtering with if or switch statements

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💡 Tips, Pitfalls & Best Practices

💡 Tip: Always double-check the operands’ types. Mixed-type comparisons can cause unexpected results.

⚠️ Pitfall: Don’t confuse = (assignment) with == (comparison).

📘 Best Practice: Use parentheses in complex conditions for clarity:

if ((score >= 50) && (attempts < 3)) { ... }

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📊 Boolean Results of Relational Expressions

Expression	Value
10 == 10	true
20 != 15	true
7 < 5	false
3 >= 3	true

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📌 Summary – Recap & Next Steps

Relational operators are essential for control flow in C#. They help your program make decisions based on comparisons and user input.

🔍 Key Takeaways:

• Use relational operators to compare two values
• They return true or false and guide your program’s logic
• Commonly used in conditions, loops, and validations

⚙️ Next up: Explore ➕ C# Logical Operators for combining multiple conditions with AND, OR, and NOT.

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❓ FAQ – C# Relational Operators

❓ What does == do in C#?
✅ It checks whether two operands are equal.

❓ What is the difference between != and ==?
✅ == checks for equality, while != checks for inequality.

❓ Can I use relational operators with strings?
✅ Yes, but comparisons are case-sensitive and based on Unicode values.

❓ What happens if I use = instead of ==?
❌ This assigns a value instead of comparing, which can lead to logic errors.

❓ Are relational operators used in loops?
✅ Yes. They define loop continuation or exit conditions.

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