Bitwise vs. Boolean Operators: What\'s the Difference Between `&` vs. `&&` and `|` vs. `||`?

Understanding Bitwise vs. Boolean Operators: & vs. && and | vs. ||

In programming, the symbols & and | represent bitwise operators, while && and || represent boolean logical operators. While these seem similar, there are crucial differences in how they function.

Bitwise Operators: && and |

Bitwise operators perform operations on individual bits within binary numbers. For example:

int a = 6; // Binary: 110
int b = 4; // Binary: 100

int c = a & b; // Bitwise AND
int d = a | b; // Bitwise OR

In this case, the obtained values are:

• c = 4 (binary: 100)
• d = 6 (binary: 110)

When performing a bitwise AND, each bit position in the operands is compared. If both corresponding bits are 1, the result bit in the corresponding position is 1; otherwise, it is 0. Conversely, in a bitwise OR, the result bit is 1 if at least one corresponding bit in the operands is 1; otherwise, it is 0.

Boolean Logical Operators: && and ||

Boolean logical operators work with boolean values (true or false). They follow similar rules to bitwise operators, but:

• && (AND) returns true only if both operands are true.
• || (OR) returns true if at least one operand is true.

Unlike bitwise operators, boolean logical operators are short-circuiting, meaning they don't evaluate all operands if the result can be determined earlier. This prevents exceptions from being raised when evaluating null values.

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