Common Programming Operators to Know for Intro to Computer Programming

Understanding common programming operators is essential for writing effective code. These operators help you manipulate data, perform calculations, and control the flow of your programs, making them a fundamental part of computer programming.

1. Assignment operator (=)

   • Used to assign a value to a variable.
   • The value on the right side of the operator is stored in the variable on the left.
   • Can be used with various data types, including integers, floats, and strings.

2. *Arithmetic operators (+, -, , /, %)

   • Perform basic mathematical operations: addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), and division (/).
   • The modulus operator (%) returns the remainder of a division operation.
   • Operator precedence determines the order in which operations are performed.

3. Comparison operators (==, !=, <, >, <=, >=)

   • Used to compare two values and return a boolean result (true or false).
   • Equality (==) checks if two values are the same, while inequality (!=) checks if they are different.
   • Relational operators (<, >, <=, >=) compare values to determine their order.

4. Logical operators (&&, ||, !)

   • Used to combine or negate boolean expressions.
   • The AND operator (&&) returns true if both operands are true.
   • The OR operator (||) returns true if at least one operand is true.
   • The NOT operator (!) negates the boolean value of an expression.

5. Increment and decrement operators (++, --)

   • Used to increase (++) or decrease (--) the value of a variable by one.
   • Can be used in both prefix (e.g., ++x) and postfix (e.g., x++) forms, affecting the order of operations.
   • Commonly used in loops and iterative processes.

6. *Compound assignment operators (+=, -=, =, /=)

   • Combine an arithmetic operation with assignment in a single step.
   • For example, x += 5 is equivalent to x = x + 5.
   • Helps to simplify code and improve readability.

7. Bitwise operators (&, |, ^, ~, <<, >>)

   • Operate on binary representations of integers at the bit level.
   • AND (&), OR (|), and XOR (^) perform bitwise operations to manipulate individual bits.
   • NOT (~) inverts the bits, while left (<<) and right (>>) shift bits to change their position.

8. Ternary operator (?:)

   • A shorthand for the if-else statement, allowing for conditional expressions.
   • Syntax: condition ? expression_if_true : expression_if_false.
   • Useful for making code more concise and readable when dealing with simple conditions.