public static boolean compare(Object value1, String operation, Object value2) {
		if (operation == null)
			return false;

		operation = operation.toUpperCase();

		if (operation.equals("=") || operation.equals("==") || operation.equals("EQ"))
			return areEqual(value1, value2);
		if (operation.equals("!=") || operation.equals("<>") || operation.equals("NE"))
			return areNotEqual(value1, value2);
		if (operation.equals("<") || operation.equals("LT"))
			return less(value1, value2);
		if (operation.equals("<=") || operation.equals("LE"))
			return areEqual(value1, value2) || less(value1, value2);
		if (operation.equals(">") || operation.equals("GT"))
			return more(value1, value2);
		if (operation.equals(">=") || operation.equals("GE"))
			return areEqual(value1, value2) || more(value1, value2);
		if (operation.equals("LIKE"))
			return match(value1, value2);

		return true;
	}
public static boolean compare ( Object value1 , String operation , Object value2 ) { if ( operation == null ) return false ; operation = operation . toUpperCase ( ) ; if ( operation . equals ( "=" ) || operation . equals ( "==" ) || operation . equals ( "EQ" ) ) return areEqual ( value1 , value2 ) ; if ( operation . equals ( "!=" ) || operation . equals ( "<>" ) || operation . equals ( "NE" ) ) return areNotEqual ( value1 , value2 ) ; if ( operation . equals ( "<" ) || operation . equals ( "LT" ) ) return less ( value1 , value2 ) ; if ( operation . equals ( "<=" ) || operation . equals ( "LE" ) ) return areEqual ( value1 , value2 ) || less ( value1 , value2 ) ; if ( operation . equals ( ">" ) || operation . equals ( "GT" ) ) return more ( value1 , value2 ) ; if ( operation . equals ( ">=" ) || operation . equals ( "GE" ) ) return areEqual ( value1 , value2 ) || more ( value1 , value2 ) ; if ( operation . equals ( "LIKE" ) ) return match ( value1 , value2 ) ; return true ; }
Perform comparison operation over two arguments. The operation can be
performed over values of any type.

@param value1    the first argument to compare
@param operation the comparison operation
@param value2    the second argument to compare
@return result of the comparison operation