_TreeSet_.remove(_TreeSet_.first()) == false

From: Tommy Jack (null-n-void_at_satx.rr.com)
Date: 04/30/04 

Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 02:10:24 GMT

    I've been trying to figure this out for a while now: I have a TreeSet
with a bunch of Objects in it. The reference to the TreeSet is nodeSet. When
I run the following code:

System.out.println(nodeSet.remove(first));

    I see false printed out. false! It just doesn't make sense that a
TreeSet would tell me it can't find it's own first element. I must be making
a really stupid mistake...

    I naturally assumed it was a problem with my objects' equals() or
compareTo() methods. So, I did a test run of these methods:

Node first = (Node)nodeSet.first();
System.out.println(first.equals(first));
System.out.println(first.compareTo(first));

    The output is true and 0. Just like it's supposed to be, right? So why
would a TreeSet say "false"?!

ahhhh