Summary of C Operators

The C programming language provides a variety of operators that can be used to perform operations on variables and values. Understanding these operators is essential for writing effective C code.

Key Concepts

1. What are Operators?

Operators in C are symbols that perform operations on one or more operands (variables or values).

2. Types of Operators

C operators can be categorized into several types:

• Arithmetic Operators: Perform basic mathematical operations.
  • Examples:
  • + (Addition)
  • - (Subtraction)
  • * (Multiplication)
  • / (Division)
  • % (Modulus)
• Relational Operators: Compare two values and return a boolean result (true or false).
  • Examples:
  • == (Equal to)
  • != (Not equal to)
  • > (Greater than)
  • < (Less than)
  • >= (Greater than or equal to)
  • <= (Less than or equal to)
• Logical Operators: Perform logical operations, typically used with boolean values.
  • Examples:
  • && (Logical AND)
  • || (Logical OR)
  • ! (Logical NOT)
• Bitwise Operators: Operate on bits and perform bit-level operations.
  • Examples:
  • & (Bitwise AND)
  • | (Bitwise OR)
  • ^ (Bitwise XOR)
  • ~ (Bitwise NOT)
  • << (Left shift)
  • >> (Right shift)
• Assignment Operators: Used to assign values to variables.
  • Examples:
  • = (Simple assignment)
  • += (Add and assign)
  • -= (Subtract and assign)
  • *= (Multiply and assign)
  • /= (Divide and assign)
• Unary Operators: Operate on a single operand.
  • Examples:
  • ++ (Increment)
  • -- (Decrement)
  • & (Address of)
  • * (Dereference)
• Ternary Operator: A shorthand for an if-else statement.
  • Syntax: condition ? expression1 : expression2
  • Example:

int max = (a > b) ? a : b;

3. Operator Precedence and Associativity

• Operator Precedence: Determines the order in which operators are evaluated.
• Associativity: Defines the direction in which operators of the same precedence are evaluated (left to right or right to left).

Example Code Snippet

Here's a simple example to illustrate the use of some operators:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
    int a = 10, b = 20;
    
    // Arithmetic Operators
    printf("Addition: %d\n", a + b);
    
    // Relational Operator
    if (a < b) {
        printf("a is less than b\n");
    }

    // Logical Operator
    if (a < b && b > 15) {
        printf("Both conditions are true\n");
    }

    // Ternary Operator
    int max = (a > b) ? a : b;
    printf("Max: %d\n", max);

    return 0;
}

Conclusion

C operators are fundamental to performing operations in programming. Familiarity with different types of operators and their applications is crucial for developing effective C programs.