In the Java API on oracles [website](http://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/lang/String.html#compareTo%28java.lang.String%29): "compareTo Returns: "the value 0 if the argument string is equal to this string; a value less than 0 if this string is lexicographically less than the string argument; and a value greater than 0 if this string is lexicographically greater than the string argument." "

Here is an if statement:

```
String a = "abd";
String b = "abc";

if(a.compareTo(b) >= 1)

```

returns true
since string a is greater, lexicographically.

My question is, does the compareTo always return a 0, 1, or -1? or does it return the actual *amount* that the string is greater than or less than the string argument.

So in the above if statement, since "abd" is one greater than "abc" is it returning 1?