TreeSet的add()方法的源码解析

interface Collection {...}

interface Set extends Collection {...}

interface NavigableMap {

}

class TreeMap implements NavigableMap {
  public V put(K key, V value) {
        Entry<K,V> t = root;
        if (t == null) {
            compare(key, key); // type (and possibly null) check

            root = new Entry<>(key, value, null);
            size = 1;
            modCount++;
            return null;
        }
        int cmp;
        Entry<K,V> parent;
        // split comparator and comparable paths
        Comparator<? super K> cpr = comparator;
        if (cpr != null) {
            do {
                parent = t;
                cmp = cpr.compare(key, t.key);
                if (cmp < 0)
                    t = t.left;
                else if (cmp > 0)
                    t = t.right;
                else
                    return t.setValue(value);
            } while (t != null);
        }
        else {
            if (key == null)
                throw new NullPointerException();
            Comparable<? super K> k = (Comparable<? super K>) key;
            do {
                parent = t;
                cmp = k.compareTo(t.key);
                if (cmp < 0)
                    t = t.left;
                else if (cmp > 0)
                    t = t.right;
                else
                    return t.setValue(value);
            } while (t != null);
        }
        Entry<K,V> e = new Entry<>(key, value, parent);
        if (cmp < 0)
            parent.left = e;
        else
            parent.right = e;
        fixAfterInsertion(e);
        size++;
        modCount++;
        return null;
    }
}

class TreeSet implements Set {
 private transient NavigableMap<E,Object> m;
 
 public TreeSet() {
   this(new TreeMap<E,Object>());
 }

 public boolean add(E e) {
        return m.put(e, PRESENT)==null;
    }
}

真正的比较是依赖于元素的compareTo()方法，而这个方法是定义在 Comparable里面的。
所以，你要想重写该方法，就必须是先 Comparable接口。这个接口表示的就是自然排序。