Python Bitwise Operators
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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 |
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| | |
OR |
Sets each bit to 1 if one of two bits is 1 |
x | y |
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| ^ |
XOR |
Sets each bit to 1 if only one of two bits is 1 |
x ^ y |
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| ~ |
NOT |
Inverts all the bits |
~x |
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| << |
Zero fill left shift |
Shift left by pushing zeros in from the right and let the leftmost bits fall off |
x << 2 |
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| >> |
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 |
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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.
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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.
Try it Yourself »
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.
Try it Yourself »
