An In-Depth Guide to Python Bitwise Operators

Python provides a rich set of operators for performing various operations, including arithmetic, logical, and bitwise operations. While arithmetic and logical operators are widely used, bitwise operators are often overlooked by developers who may not work with low-level data manipulation regularly. However, bitwise operations are powerful tools in specific scenarios like cryptography, network programming, and performance optimization. In this article, we will explore Python’s bitwise operators, their functionality, and use cases.

What Are Bitwise Operators?

Bitwise operators in Python allow you to manipulate individual bits of integer numbers. Unlike regular arithmetic operators, which operate on entire numbers, bitwise operators work on the binary representation of these numbers.

Here’s a quick example:

• Binary representation of 5: 0101
• Binary representation of 3: 0011

Bitwise operators enable direct manipulation of these binary representations.

Types of Bitwise Operators in Python

1. AND (&)
2. OR (|)
3. XOR (^)
4. NOT (~)
5. Left Shift (<<)