Java Operators - Complete Guide

Introduction to Java Operators

Operators in Java are special symbols that perform operations on operands and return a result.

They are the foundation of expressions and are grouped into categories: arithmetic, assignment, comparison, logical, bitwise, ternary, and more.

Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators handle basic math operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and modulus. Java also supports increment and decrement operators.

Example

public class ArithmeticOperators {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int a = 10, b = 3;
        System.out.println("a + b = " + (a + b));
        System.out.println("a - b = " + (a - b));
        System.out.println("a * b = " + (a * b));
        System.out.println("a / b = " + (a / b));
        System.out.println("a % b = " + (a % b));

        int c = 5;
        System.out.println("c++ = " + (c++)); // Post-increment
        System.out.println("++c = " + (++c)); // Pre-increment

        int d = 8;
        System.out.println("d-- = " + (d--)); // Post-decrement
        System.out.println("--d = " + (--d)); // Pre-decrement
    }
}

Output

a + b = 13
a - b = 7
a * b = 30
a / b = 3
a % b = 1
c++ = 5
++c = 7
d-- = 8
--d = 6

Assignment and Comparison Operators

Assignment operators assign values, often in shorthand form. Comparison operators evaluate relationships between values, returning boolean results.

Example

public class AssignmentComparison {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int x = 10;
        x += 5;
        x -= 3;
        x *= 2;
        x /= 4;
        x %= 3;
        System.out.println("x after operations: " + x);

        int a = 5, b = 8;
        System.out.println("a == b: " + (a == b));
        System.out.println("a != b: " + (a != b));
        System.out.println("a > b: " + (a > b));
        System.out.println("a < b: " + (a < b));
        System.out.println("a >= b: " + (a >= b));
        System.out.println("a <= b: " + (a <= b));
    }
}

Output

x after operations: 0
a == b: false
a != b: true
a > b: false
a < b: true
a >= b: false
a <= b: true

Logical and Bitwise Operators

Logical operators combine boolean expressions, while bitwise operators manipulate individual bits of integers.

Example

public class LogicalBitwise {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        boolean p = true, q = false;
        System.out.println("p && q: " + (p && q));
        System.out.println("p || q: " + (p || q));
        System.out.println("!p: " + (!p));

        int x = 5; // 0101
        int y = 3; // 0011
        System.out.println("x & y: " + (x & y));
        System.out.println("x | y: " + (x | y));
        System.out.println("x ^ y: " + (x ^ y));
        System.out.println("~x: " + (~x));
        System.out.println("x << 1: " + (x << 1));
        System.out.println("x >> 1: " + (x >> 1));
        System.out.println("x >>> 1: " + (x >>> 1));
    }
}

Output

p && q: false
p || q: true
!p: false
x & y: 1
x | y: 7
x ^ y: 6
~x: -6
x << 1: 10
x >> 1: 2
x >>> 1: 2

Ternary and instanceof Operators

The ternary operator `?:` is a compact if-else. The `instanceof` operator checks if an object belongs to a particular class.

Example

public class TernaryInstanceof {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int age = 20;
        String status = (age >= 18) ? "Adult" : "Minor";
        System.out.println("Status: " + status);

        int score = 85;
        String grade = (score >= 90) ? "A" : (score >= 80) ? "B" : "C";
        System.out.println("Grade: " + grade);

        Object obj = "Hello";
        System.out.println("obj instanceof String: " + (obj instanceof String));
        System.out.println("obj instanceof Object: " + (obj instanceof Object));
    }
}

Output

Status: Adult
Grade: B
obj instanceof String: true
obj instanceof Object: true

Operator Precedence and Best Practices

Operator precedence controls evaluation order. Using parentheses improves readability and prevents logical errors.

✅ Always use parentheses for clarity in complex expressions
✅ Remember that integer division truncates results
✅ Prefer `&&` and `||` for short-circuiting instead of `&` and `|`
✅ Keep ternary usage simple; avoid nested ternaries for readability
✅ Use compound assignments like `x += 5` to simplify expressions

Precedence	Operator	Description	Associativity
Highest	() [] .	Parentheses, array access, member access	Left to right
	++ -- ! ~	Unary operators	Right to left
	* / %	Multiplicative	Left to right
	+ -	Additive	Left to right
	<< >> >>>	Shift	Left to right
	< <= > >= instanceof	Relational	Left to right
	== !=	Equality	Left to right
	&	Bitwise AND	Left to right
	^	Bitwise XOR	Left to right
	\|	Bitwise OR	Left to right
	&&	Logical AND	Left to right
	\|\|	Logical OR	Left to right
	?:	Ternary	Right to left
Lowest	= += -= *= /= %=	Assignment	Right to left

Java Operators - Complete Guide

Introduction to Java Operators

Operators in Java are special symbols that perform operations on operands and return a result.

They are the foundation of expressions and are grouped into categories: arithmetic, assignment, comparison, logical, bitwise, ternary, and more.

Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators handle basic math operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and modulus. Java also supports increment and decrement operators.

Example

public class ArithmeticOperators {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int a = 10, b = 3;
        System.out.println("a + b = " + (a + b));
        System.out.println("a - b = " + (a - b));
        System.out.println("a * b = " + (a * b));
        System.out.println("a / b = " + (a / b));
        System.out.println("a % b = " + (a % b));

        int c = 5;
        System.out.println("c++ = " + (c++)); // Post-increment
        System.out.println("++c = " + (++c)); // Pre-increment

        int d = 8;
        System.out.println("d-- = " + (d--)); // Post-decrement
        System.out.println("--d = " + (--d)); // Pre-decrement
    }
}

Output

a + b = 13
a - b = 7
a * b = 30
a / b = 3
a % b = 1
c++ = 5
++c = 7
d-- = 8
--d = 6

Assignment and Comparison Operators

Assignment operators assign values, often in shorthand form. Comparison operators evaluate relationships between values, returning boolean results.

Example

public class AssignmentComparison {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int x = 10;
        x += 5;
        x -= 3;
        x *= 2;
        x /= 4;
        x %= 3;
        System.out.println("x after operations: " + x);

        int a = 5, b = 8;
        System.out.println("a == b: " + (a == b));
        System.out.println("a != b: " + (a != b));
        System.out.println("a > b: " + (a > b));
        System.out.println("a < b: " + (a < b));
        System.out.println("a >= b: " + (a >= b));
        System.out.println("a <= b: " + (a <= b));
    }
}

Output

x after operations: 0
a == b: false
a != b: true
a > b: false
a < b: true
a >= b: false
a <= b: true

Logical and Bitwise Operators

Logical operators combine boolean expressions, while bitwise operators manipulate individual bits of integers.

Example

public class LogicalBitwise {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        boolean p = true, q = false;
        System.out.println("p && q: " + (p && q));
        System.out.println("p || q: " + (p || q));
        System.out.println("!p: " + (!p));

        int x = 5; // 0101
        int y = 3; // 0011
        System.out.println("x & y: " + (x & y));
        System.out.println("x | y: " + (x | y));
        System.out.println("x ^ y: " + (x ^ y));
        System.out.println("~x: " + (~x));
        System.out.println("x << 1: " + (x << 1));
        System.out.println("x >> 1: " + (x >> 1));
        System.out.println("x >>> 1: " + (x >>> 1));
    }
}

Output

p && q: false
p || q: true
!p: false
x & y: 1
x | y: 7
x ^ y: 6
~x: -6
x << 1: 10
x >> 1: 2
x >>> 1: 2

Ternary and instanceof Operators

The ternary operator `?:` is a compact if-else. The `instanceof` operator checks if an object belongs to a particular class.

Example

public class TernaryInstanceof {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int age = 20;
        String status = (age >= 18) ? "Adult" : "Minor";
        System.out.println("Status: " + status);

        int score = 85;
        String grade = (score >= 90) ? "A" : (score >= 80) ? "B" : "C";
        System.out.println("Grade: " + grade);

        Object obj = "Hello";
        System.out.println("obj instanceof String: " + (obj instanceof String));
        System.out.println("obj instanceof Object: " + (obj instanceof Object));
    }
}

Output

Status: Adult
Grade: B
obj instanceof String: true
obj instanceof Object: true

Operator Precedence and Best Practices

Operator precedence controls evaluation order. Using parentheses improves readability and prevents logical errors.

✅ Always use parentheses for clarity in complex expressions
✅ Remember that integer division truncates results
✅ Prefer `&&` and `||` for short-circuiting instead of `&` and `|`
✅ Keep ternary usage simple; avoid nested ternaries for readability
✅ Use compound assignments like `x += 5` to simplify expressions

Precedence	Operator	Description	Associativity
Highest	() [] .	Parentheses, array access, member access	Left to right
	++ -- ! ~	Unary operators	Right to left
	* / %	Multiplicative	Left to right
	+ -	Additive	Left to right
	<< >> >>>	Shift	Left to right
	< <= > >= instanceof	Relational	Left to right
	== !=	Equality	Left to right
	&	Bitwise AND	Left to right
	^	Bitwise XOR	Left to right
	\|	Bitwise OR	Left to right
	&&	Logical AND	Left to right
	\|\|	Logical OR	Left to right
	?:	Ternary	Right to left
Lowest	= += -= *= /= %=	Assignment	Right to left

Java Basics

Java OOP

Java Quiz

Java Operators - Complete Guide

Introduction to Java Operators

Arithmetic Operators

Assignment and Comparison Operators

Logical and Bitwise Operators

Ternary and instanceof Operators

Operator Precedence and Best Practices

Java Operators - Complete Guide

Introduction to Java Operators

Arithmetic Operators

Assignment and Comparison Operators

Logical and Bitwise Operators

Ternary and instanceof Operators

Operator Precedence and Best Practices