Python Bitwise Operators
Bitwise Operators
Bitwise operators are used to compare (binary) numbers:
| Operator | Name | Description | Example | Try it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| & | AND | Sets each bit to 1 if both bits are 1 | x & y | Try it » |
| | | OR | Sets each bit to 1 if one of two bits is 1 | x | y | Try it » |
| ^ | XOR | Sets each bit to 1 if only one of two bits is 1 | x ^ y | Try it » |
| ~ | NOT | Inverts all the bits | ~x | Try it » |
| << | Zero fill left shift | Shift left by pushing zeros in from the right and let the leftmost bits fall off | x << 2 | Try it » |
| >> | Signed right shift | Shift right by pushing copies of the leftmost bit in from the left, and let the rightmost bits fall off | x >> 2 | Try it » |
Examples
Example
The & operator compares each bit and set it to 1 if both are 1, otherwise it is set to 0:
print(6 & 3)
The binary representation of 6 is 0110
The binary representation of 3 is 0011
Then the & operator compares the bits and returns 0010, which is 2 in decimal.
Run example »Example
The | operator compares each bit and set it to 1 if one or both is 1, otherwise it is set to 0:
print(6 | 3)
The binary representation of 6 is 0110
The binary representation of 3 is 0011
Then the | operator compares the bits and returns 0111, which is 7 in decimal.
Run example »Example
The ^ operator compares each bit and set it to 1 if only one is 1, otherwise (if both are 1 or both are 0) it is set to 0:
print(6 ^ 3)
The binary representation of 6 is 0110
The binary representation of 3 is 0011
Then the ^ operator compares the bits and returns 0101, which is 5 in decimal.
Run example »
