// until C++20
template<typename RefStringTypeLhs, typename RefStringTypeRhs>
bool operator==(
    const json_pointer<RefStringTypeLhs>& lhs,
    const json_pointer<RefStringTypeRhs>& rhs) noexcept;            // (1)

template<typename RefStringTypeLhs, typename StringType>
bool operator==(
    const json_pointer<RefStringTypeLhs>& lhs,
    const StringType& rhs);                                         // (2)

template<typename RefStringTypeRhs, typename StringType>
bool operator==(
    const StringType& lhs,
    const json_pointer<RefStringTypeRhs>& rhs);                     // (2)

// since C++20
class json_pointer {
    template<typename RefStringTypeRhs>
    bool operator==(
        const json_pointer<RefStringTypeRhs>& rhs) const noexcept;  // (1)

    bool operator==(const string_t& rhs) const;                     // (2)
};

1. Compares two JSON pointers for equality by comparing their reference tokens.

2. Compares a JSON pointer and a string or a string and a JSON pointer for equality by converting the string to a JSON pointer and comparing the JSON pointers according to 1.

RefStringTypeLhs, RefStringTypeRhs : the string type of the left-hand side or right-hand side JSON pointer, respectively

StringType : the string type derived from the json_pointer operand (json_pointer::string_t)

lhs (in) : first value to consider

rhs (in) : second value to consider

whether the values lhs/*this and rhs are equal

1. No-throw guarantee: this function never throws exceptions.
2. Strong exception safety: if an exception occurs, the original value stays intact.

1. (none)
2. The function can throw the following exceptions:
   • Throws parse_error.107 if the given JSON pointer s is nonempty and does not begin with a slash (/); see example below.
   • Throws parse_error.108 if a tilde (~) in the given JSON pointer s is not followed by 0 (representing ~) or 1 (representing /); see example below.

Constant if lhs and rhs differ in the number of reference tokens, otherwise linear in the number of reference tokens.

!!! warning "Deprecation"

Overload 2 is deprecated and will be removed in a future major version release.

??? example "Example: (1) Comparing JSON pointers"

The example demonstrates comparing JSON pointers.
    
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/json_pointer__operator__equal.cpp"
```

Output:

```
--8<-- "examples/json_pointer__operator__equal.output"
```

??? example "Example: (2) Comparing JSON pointers and strings"

The example demonstrates comparing JSON pointers and strings, and when doing so may raise an exception.
    
```cpp
--8<-- "examples/json_pointer__operator__equal_stringtype.cpp"
```

Output:

```
--8<-- "examples/json_pointer__operator__equal_stringtype.output"
```

1. Added in version 2.1.0. Added C++20 member functions in version 3.11.2.
2. Added for backward compatibility and deprecated in version 3.11.2.