Implementations[edit]

Java[edit]

 class Test {
  public static void main(String args[]) {

    String s1 = "état";
    String s2 = "famille";

    // (javadoc)
    // The result of String.compareTo() is a negative integer
    // if this String object lexicographically precedes the
    // argument string. The result is a positive integer if
    // this String object lexicographically follows the argument
    // string. The result is zero if the strings are equal;
    // compareTo returns 0 exactly when the equals(Object)
    // method would return true.

    // here we are expecting "é" < "f"
    if (s1.compareTo(s2) > 0) {
        // s1 lexicographically follows s2 which is not true!
        System.out.println("not ok s1 > s2  ");
    }

    // (javadoc)
    // Collator.compare() compares the source string to the target string
    // according to the collation rules for this Collator.
    // Returns an integer less than, equal to or greater than zero
    // depending on whether the source String is less than,
    // equal to or greater than the target string.
    java.text.Collator frCollator =
       java.text.Collator.getInstance(java.util.Locale.FRANCE);
    frCollator.setStrength(java.text.Collator.CANONICAL_DECOMPOSITION);
    //  or  frCollator.setStrength(java.text.Collator.SECONDARY);
    //    to be non case sensitive  
    if (frCollator.compare(s1, s2) < 0) {
        // s2 lexicographically follows s1
        System.out.println("ok s1 < s2  ");
    }
  }
}

Equality

 class Test {
  public static void main(String args[]) {

    String s1 = "état";
    String s2 = "État";

    // here we are expecting "état" == "État"
    if (s1.compareTo(s2) != 0) {
        System.out.println("not ok s1 != s2  ");
    }

    java.text.Collator frCollator =
       java.text.Collator.getInstance(java.util.Locale.FRANCE);
    frCollator.setStrength(java.text.Collator.SECONDARY);
    if (frCollator.compare(s1, s2) == 0) {
        // s2 lexicographically follows s1
        System.out.println("ok s1 == s2  ");
    }
  }
}

NOTE: Also, another possibility is to convert to uppercase/lowercase both items to be compared.