Bitwise Operators In C/C++

Bitwise Operators In C/C++

Bitwise operators in C/C++ are tools for working with individual bits in data. They might not be as famous as other operators, but they’re essential for tasks like making code more efficient or controlling hardware. In this guide, we’ll explain the basics of bitwise operators, show you how they’re used in practical situations, and teach you how to use them to solve coding problems. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced programmer, this guide will help you understand how to use these operators effectively in C/C++.

What is Bitwise Operators

In C, there are six operators known as bitwise operators, or bit operators because they operate at the bit-level. These operators are used to carry out operations on individual bits in C programming.

In C and C++, there are six bitwise operators that work at the bit level:

1. & (Bitwise AND): This operator takes two numbers as operands and performs the AND operation on each bit. The result is 1 only if both corresponding bits are 1.
2. | (Bitwise OR): It also takes two numbers and performs the OR operation on each bit. The result is 1 if either of the two corresponding bits is 1.
3. ^ (Bitwise XOR): This operator, taking two numbers, performs the XOR operation on each bit. The result is 1 if the two corresponding bits are different (one is 0 and the other is 1).
4. << (Left Shift): It takes two numbers: the first operand has its bits left-shifted by the number of positions specified by the second operand.
5. >> (Right Shift): Similarly, it takes two numbers, right-shifting the bits of the first operand by the number of positions indicated by the second operand.
6. ~ (Bitwise NOT): This operator takes a single number and inverts (flips) all its bits. All 0s become 1s, and vice versa.

These bitwise operators are powerful tools for working at the binary level, which can be especially useful in tasks involving low-level programming, optimization, and manipulating individual bits within data.

Example of Bitwise Operators in C

// C Program to demonstrate use of bitwise operators
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
    // a = 5(00000101), b = 9(00001001)
    unsigned char a = 5, b = 9;
 
    // The result is 00000001
    printf("a = %d, b = %d\n", a, b);
    printf("a&b = %d\n", a & b);
 
    // The result is 00001101
    printf("a|b = %d\n", a | b);
 
    // The result is 00001100
    printf("a^b = %d\n", a ^ b);
 
    // The result is 11111010
    printf("~a = %d\n", a = ~a);
 
    // The result is 00010010
    printf("b<<1 = %d\n", b << 1);
 
    // The result is 00000100
    printf("b>>1 = %d\n", b >> 1);
 
    return 0;
   
}

Output

a = 5, b = 9
a & b = 1
a | b = 13
a ^ b = 12
~a = -6
b << 1 = 18
b >> 1 = 4

FAQ – Bitwise Operators In C/C++