Assert.AreEqual(object, object) method

Question

How does the Assert.AreEqual(object, object) method (in the namespace Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting ) determine whether the parameters are equal? Does it make use of the Object.Equals(object, object) method (in the System namespace)?

Answer 1

using reflector you can see that it does indeed use Object.Equals.

public static void AreEqual<T>(T expected, T actual, string message, params object[] parameters)
{
    if (!object.Equals(expected, actual))
    {
        string str;
        if (((actual != null) && (expected != null)) && !actual.GetType().Equals(expected.GetType()))
        {
            str = (string) FrameworkMessages.AreEqualDifferentTypesFailMsg((message == null) ? string.Empty : ReplaceNulls(message), ReplaceNulls(expected), expected.GetType().FullName, ReplaceNulls(actual), actual.GetType().FullName);
        }
        else
        {
            str = (string) FrameworkMessages.AreEqualFailMsg((message == null) ? string.Empty : ReplaceNulls(message), ReplaceNulls(expected), ReplaceNulls(actual));
        }
        HandleFail("Assert.AreEqual", str, parameters);
    }
}