JavaScript Bitwise Operations

JavaScript Bitwise Operations allow manipulation of data at the bit level. Let’s explore the operators and how they work.

JavaScript Bitwise Operators

& (AND): Performs a bitwise AND operation.
| (OR): Performs a bitwise OR operation.
^ (XOR): Performs a bitwise XOR operation.
~ (NOT): Inverts all bits.
<< (Left Shift): Shifts bits to the left.
>> (Right Shift): Shifts bits to the right, preserving the sign.
>>> (Zero Fill Right Shift): Shifts bits to the right, filling with zeros.

JavaScript Uses 32 Bits for Bitwise Operands

JavaScript converts numbers to 32-bit binary before performing bitwise operations.

Example:

console.log(5 & 1); // Output: 1

Important Note:

Numbers exceeding 32 bits are truncated for bitwise operations.

JavaScript Bitwise AND (&)/p>

The AND operator compares each bit of two numbers and returns 1 if both bits are 1.

Example:

console.log(5 & 3); // Output: 1

Important Note: Often used for masking bits.

JavaScript Bitwise OR (|)

The OR operator compares each bit of two numbers and returns 1 if at least one bit is 1.

Example:

console.log(5 | 3); // Output: 7

Important Note:

Useful for setting specific bits.

JavaScript Bitwise XOR (^)

The XOR operator returns 1 if only one of the corresponding bits is 1.

Example:

console.log(5 ^ 3); // Output: 6

Important Note:

Used in toggling bits.

JavaScript Bitwise NOT (~)

The NOT operator inverts all bits of a number.

Example:

console.log(~5); // Output: -6

Important Note:

Produces the two’s complement of the number.

JavaScript (Zero Fill) Bitwise Left Shift (<<)

Shifts bits to the left, filling with zeros.

Example:

console.log(5 << 1); // Output: 10

Important Note:

Left shifts multiply the number by 2 for each shift.

JavaScript (Sign Preserving) Bitwise Right Shift (>>)

Shifts bits to the right, keeping the sign intact.

Example:

console.log(-5 >> 1); // Output: -3

Important Note:

Right shifts divide the number by 2 for each shift, rounding down.

JavaScript (Zero Fill) Right Shift (>>>)

Shifts bits to the right, filling with zeros.

Example:

console.log(-5 >>> 1); // Output: 2147483645

Important Note:

Always returns a non-negative result.

Binary Numbers

Binary is a base-2 numeral system using 0 and 1. Understanding binary is essential for bitwise operations.

Converting Decimal to Binary

To convert decimal to binary, divide the number by 2 and write down the remainders:

Example:

Convert 5 to binary.

5 / 2 = 2 remainder 1
2 / 2 = 1 remainder 0
1 / 2 = 0 remainder 1 Binary: 101

Converting Binary to Decimal

To convert binary to decimal, multiply each bit by 2 raised to its position index (starting from 0).

Example:

Convert 101 to decimal.

(1 × 2^2) + (0 × 2^1) + (1 × 2^0) = 4 + 0 + 1 = 5

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JavaScript Bitwise Operations