Python

  1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Python

Bit String Operations

From Al Lukaszewski, for About.com

Plain and long integer types support additional operations that make sense only for bit-strings. Negative numbers are treated as their 2's complement value (for long integers, this assumes a sufficiently large number of bits that no overflow occurs during the operation).

The priorities of the binary bit-wise operations are all lower than the numeric operations and higher than the comparisons; the unary operation "~" has the same priority as the other unary numeric operations ("+" and "-").

This table lists the bit-string operations sorted in ascending priority (operations in the same box have the same priority):

  • x | y: bitwise or of x and y
  • x ^ y: bitwise exclusive or of x and y
  • x & y: bitwise and of x and y
  • x << n: x shifted left by n bits. Note: Negative shift counts cause a ValueError to be raised.
  • x >> n: x shifted right by n bits. Note: Negative shift counts cause a ValueError to be raised.
  • ~x: the bits of x inverted

Explore Python

About.com Special Features

Build Your Own Website

Step-by-step advice on how to do everything from choosing a Web host to promoting your content. More >

Connect Your Home Computers

Easy ways to connect two computers for networking purposes. More >

Python

  1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Python
  4. Python Library
  5. Python Modules - Built-In Functions - Bit String Operations

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.