Fix #3868: Remove operator!= to enable P2468R2 rewritten candidate synthesis

Under C++20 P2468R2, a hand-written operator!= suppresses the compiler's
rewritten-candidate synthesis for operator==, preventing heterogeneous
comparisons like `std::string s; json j; s == j;` from compiling.

Fix by removing the hand-written operator!=, allowing the compiler to
synthesize != as !(a==b) in all language modes (C++20 member functions
and pre-C++20 friend functions).

Behavior change: operator!= now returns !(a==b) unconditionally, including
for special values like NaN and discarded. This means:
- NaN != NaN now returns true (matches IEEE-754 semantics)
- discarded != x now returns true for any x (matches !(discarded == x))

This also fixes underlying defects in previously-working code:
- Restores direct == comparison for views vs json (reverts std::ranges::equal
  workaround added in PR #3950 to dodge this bug)
- Re-enables std::string == json comparisons (uncomments check in
  unit-constructor1.cpp)

Fixes: #3868, #3979

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Signed-off-by: Niels Lohmann <mail@nlohmann.me>

tests/src/unit-comparison.cpp

@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ TEST_CASE("lexicographical comparison operators")
         SECTION("comparison: not equal")
         {
             // check that two values compare unequal as expected
+            // operator!= now means exactly !(a==b) without special cases for NaN/discarded
             for (size_t i = 0; i < j_values.size(); ++i)
             {
                 for (size_t j = 0; j < j_values.size(); ++j)
@@ -376,25 +377,12 @@ TEST_CASE("lexicographical comparison operators")
                     CAPTURE(i)
                     CAPTURE(j)
 
-                    if (json::compares_unordered(j_values[i], j_values[j], true))
-                    {
-                        // if two values compare unordered,
-                        // check that the boolean comparison result is always false
-                        CHECK_FALSE(j_values[i] != j_values[j]);
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        // otherwise, check that they compare according to their definition
-                        // as the inverse of equal
-                        CHECK((j_values[i] != j_values[j]) == !(j_values[i] == j_values[j]));
-                    }
+                    CHECK((j_values[i] != j_values[j]) == !(j_values[i] == j_values[j]));
                 }
             }
 
             // compare with null pointer
             const json j_null;
-            CHECK((j_null != nullptr) == false);
-            CHECK((nullptr != j_null) == false);
             CHECK((j_null != nullptr) == !(j_null == nullptr));
             CHECK((nullptr != j_null) == !(nullptr == j_null));
         }
@@ -594,3 +582,34 @@ TEST_CASE("lexicographical comparison operators")
     }
 #endif
 }
+
+#if JSON_HAS_THREE_WAY_COMPARISON
+// JSON_HAS_CPP_20 (do not remove; see note at top of file)
+
+TEST_CASE("regression #3868 - heterogeneous comparisons compile under C++20 (P2468R2)")
+{
+    // Issue #3868: operator!= was preventing compiler from synthesizing reversed
+    // operator== candidates under C++20's P2468R2 rewritten candidate rules.
+    // Verify that heterogeneous comparisons now work.
+
+    SECTION("string vs json")
+    {
+        std::string s = "string";
+        json j = "string";
+        CHECK(s == j);
+        CHECK(j == s);
+        CHECK_FALSE(s != j);
+        CHECK_FALSE(j != s);
+    }
+
+    SECTION("other heterogeneous types")
+    {
+        int i = 42;
+        json j = 42;
+        CHECK(i == j);
+        CHECK(j == i);
+        CHECK_FALSE(i != j);
+        CHECK_FALSE(j != i);
+    }
+}
+#endif

tests/src/unit-constructor1.cpp

@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ TEST_CASE("constructors")
             const auto t = j.get<std::tuple<int, float, std::string>>();
             CHECK(std::get<0>(t) == j[0]);
             CHECK(std::get<1>(t) == j[1]);
-            // CHECK(std::get<2>(t) == j[2]); // commented out due to CI issue, see https://github.com/nlohmann/json/pull/3985 and https://github.com/nlohmann/json/issues/4025
+            CHECK(std::get<2>(t) == j[2]);
         }
 
         SECTION("std::tuple tie")

tests/src/unit-iterators2.cpp

@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ TEST_CASE("iterators 2")
                 json j_expected{5, 4, 3, 2, 1};
 
                 auto reversed = j | std::views::reverse;
-                CHECK(std::ranges::equal(reversed, j_expected));
+                CHECK(reversed == j_expected);
             }
 
             SECTION("transform")