JavaScript Bitwise Operations
JavaScript Bitwise Operators
Operator | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
& | AND | Sets each bit to 1 if both bits are 1 |
| | OR | Sets each bit to 1 if one of two bits is 1 |
^ | XOR | Sets each bit to 1 if only one of two bits is 1 |
~ | NOT | Inverts all the bits |
<< | Zero fill left shift | Shifts left by pushing zeros in from the right and let the leftmost bits fall off |
>> | Signed right shift | Shifts right by pushing copies of the leftmost bit in from the left, and let the rightmost bits fall off |
>>> | Zero fill right shift | Shifts right by pushing zeros in from the left, and let the rightmost bits fall off |
Examples
Operation | Result | Same as | Result |
---|---|---|---|
5 & 1 | 1 | 0101 & 0001 | 0001 |
5 | 1 | 5 | 0101 | 0001 | 0101 |
~ 5 | 10 | ~0101 | 1010 |
5 << 1 | 10 | 0101 << 1 | 1010 |
5 ^ 1 | 4 | 0101 ^ 0001 | 0100 |
5 >> 1 | 2 | 0101 >> 1 | 0010 |
5 >>> 1 | 2 | 0101 >>> 1 | 0010 |
JavaScript Uses 32 bits Bitwise Operands
JavaScript saves numbers as 64-bit floating-point numbers, but it does bitwise operations using 32-bit binary numbers.
Prior to conducting a bitwise operation, JavaScript changes numbers into 32-bit signed integers.
After doing the bitwise operation, the outcome is changed back to 64-bit JavaScript numbers.
The examples above show how to use 4-bit unsigned binary numbers. Because of this ~ 5 returns 10.
JavaScript doesn't give 10 because it uses 32-bit numbers. It will return -6.
00000000000000000000000000000101 (5)
11111111111111111111111111111010 (~5 = -6)
A negative number is indicated by the leftmost bit being 1.
JavaScript Bitwise AND
When you do a bitwise AND on two bits, you get 1 only if both bits are 1.
Operation | Result |
---|---|
0 & 0 | 0 |
0 & 1 | 0 |
1 & 0 | 0 |
1 & 1 | 1 |
Operation | Result |
---|---|
1111 & 0000 | 0000 |
1111 & 0001 | 0001 |
1111 & 0010 | 0010 |
1111 & 0100 | 0100 |
JavaScript Bitwise OR
When you perform a bitwise OR on two bits, the result is 1 if at least one of the bits is 1.
Operation | Result |
---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 | 1 | 1 |
1 | 0 | 1 |
1 | 1 | 1 |
Operation | Result |
---|---|
1111 | 0000 | 1111 |
1111 | 0001 | 1111 |
1111 | 0010 | 1111 |
1111 | 0100 | 1111 |
JavaScript Bitwise XOR
When you do a bitwise XOR on two bits, it gives you 1 if the bits are not the same.
Operation | Result |
---|---|
0 ^ 0 | 0 |
0 ^ 1 | 1 |
1 ^ 0 | 1 |
1 ^ 1 | 0 |
Operation | Result |
---|---|
1111 ^ 0000 | 1111 |
1111 ^ 0001 | 1110 |
1111 ^ 0010 | 1101 |
1111 ^ 0100 | 1011 |
JavaScript Bitwise AND (&)
Bitwise AND returns 1 only if both bits are 1:
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
5 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 |
1 | 00000000000000000000000000000001 |
5 & 1 | 00000000000000000000000000000001 (1) |
JavaScript Bitwise OR (|)
The Bitwise OR operation gives a result of 1 when at least one of the bits being compared is 1.
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
5 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 |
1 | 00000000000000000000000000000001 |
5 | 1 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 (5) |
JavaScript Bitwise XOR (^)
XOR operation in bitwise returns 1 when comparing different bits.
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
5 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 |
1 | 00000000000000000000000000000001 |
5 ^ 1 | 00000000000000000000000000000100 (4) |
JavaScript Bitwise NOT (~)
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
5 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 |
~5 | 11111111111111111111111111111010 (-6) |
JavaScript (Zero Fill) Bitwise Left Shift (<<)
This operation is called a zero fill left shift. It involves adding one or more zero bits to the left side, and the bits on the far left are dropped off.
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
5 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 |
5 << 1 | 00000000000000000000000000001010 (10) |
JavaScript (Sign Preserving) Bitwise Right Shift (>>)
This is a type of right shift that maintains the sign. It brings in copies of the leftmost bit from the left, and the rightmost bits drop off.
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
-5 | 11111111111111111111111111111011 |
-5 >> 1 | 11111111111111111111111111111101 (-3) |
JavaScript (Zero Fill) Right Shift (>>>)
This operation is called a zero-fill right shift. It means that one or more zero bits are added from the left side, and the bits on the right side are dropped off.
Decimal | Binary |
---|---|
5 | 00000000000000000000000000000101 |
5 >>> 1 | 00000000000000000000000000000010 (2) |
Binary Numbers
Binary numbers with only one bit set are easy to understand:
Binary Representation | Decimal value |
---|---|
00000000000000000000000000000001 | 1 |
00000000000000000000000000000010 | 2 |
00000000000000000000000000000100 | 4 |
00000000000000000000000000001000 | 8 |
00000000000000000000000000010000 | 16 |
00000000000000000000000000100000 | 32 |
00000000000000000000000001000000 | 64 |
Increasing the number of bits exposes the binary pattern.
Binary Representation | Decimal value |
---|---|
00000000000000000000000000000101 | 5 (4 + 1) |
00000000000000000000000000001101 | 13 (8 + 4 + 1) |
00000000000000000000000000101101 | 45 (32 + 8 + 4 + 1) |
JavaScript saves binary numbers using a two's complement format.
This implies that the bitwise NOT of a number is equal to the negative of that number plus 1.
Binary Representation | Decimal value |
---|---|
00000000000000000000000000000101 | 5 |
11111111111111111111111111111011 | -5 |
00000000000000000000000000000110 | 6 |
11111111111111111111111111111010 | -6 |
00000000000000000000000000101000 | 40 |
11111111111111111111111111011000 | -40 |
Joke:
In the world, there are just two kinds of people: those who get binary code and those who don't.