Bitwise XOR Operator in Programming
Last Updated :
27 Feb, 2024
Bitwise XOR Operator is represented by the caret symbol (^). It is used to perform a bitwise XOR operation on the individual bits of two operands. The XOR operator returns 1 if the corresponding bits in the two operands are different, and 0 if they are the same.
What is Bitwise XOR?
Bitwise XOR (exclusive OR) is a binary operation that takes two equal-length binary representations and performs the logical XOR operation on each pair of corresponding bits. The result in each position is 1 if only one of the two bits is 1 but will be 0 if both are 0 or both are 1.
The truth table for the XOR (exclusive OR) operation is as follows:
| A |
B |
A XOR B |
| 0 |
0 |
0 |
| 0 |
1 |
1 |
| 1 |
0 |
1 |
| 1 |
1 |
0 |
In this table, A and B are the variables, and A XOR B is the expression representing the logical XOR operation. The table shows all possible combinations of truth values for A and B, and the resulting truth value of A XOR B for each combination.
The XOR operation returns 1 (true) if the inputs are different, and 0 (false) if they are the same. This is why the output is 1 for the second and third rows, where A and B have different values, and 0 for the first and fourth rows, where A and B have the same value.
Bitwise XOR operator:
The bitwise XOR operator is represented by the caret symbol (^) in many programming languages, including Python, C, C++, and Java.
result = operand1 ^ operand2;
Bitwise XOR operator in C:
C
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 10;
int b = 6;
int result = a ^ b;
printf("%d\n", result);
return 0;
}
|
Bitwise XOR operator in C++:
C++
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
int a = 10;
int b = 6;
int result = a ^ b;
cout << result << endl;
return 0;
}
|
Bitwise XOR operator in Java:
Java
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int a = 10;
int b = 6;
int result = a ^ b;
System.out.println(result);
}
}
|
Bitwise XOR operator in Python:
Python3
a = 10
b = 6
result = a ^ b
print(result)
|
Bitwise XOR operator in C#:
C#
using System;
class MainClass {
public static void Main(string[] args)
{
int a = 10;
int b = 6;
int result = a ^ b;
Console.WriteLine(result);
}
}
|
Bitwise XOR operator in Javascript:
Javascript
let a = 10;
let b = 6;
let result = a ^ b;
console.log(result);
|
Use Cases of Bitwise XOR Operator:
The bitwise XOR operator (^) has several use cases in programming:
- Flipping individual bits: The XOR operator can be used to flip individual bits in a number. For example,
x ^ 1 will flip the least significant bit of x.
- Swapping two variables without a temporary variable: The XOR operator can be used to swap the values of two variables without using a temporary variable. For example,
a ^= b; b ^= a; a ^= b; will swap the values of a and b.
- Checking if two numbers have opposite signs: The XOR operator can be used to check if two numbers have opposite signs. For example,
(x ^ y) < 0 will return true if x and y have opposite signs.
- Implementing simple encryption algorithms: The XOR operator can be used to implement simple encryption algorithms. For example,
x ^ key will encrypt x using key, and x ^ key ^ key will decrypt x using key.
- Detecting changes in data: The XOR operator can be used to detect changes in data. For example,
x ^ y will return 0 if x and y are the same, and a non-zero value if they are different.
Applications of Bitwise XOR Operator:
Here are some applications of the bitwise XOR operator:
- Error detection and correction: XOR operations are used in error detection and correction codes like CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) and Hamming codes. By XORing the data with a known pattern, errors in transmission can be detected and corrected.
- Random number generation: XOR operations can be used in pseudo-random number generation algorithms. By XORing a number with itself and a shifting pattern, a sequence of seemingly random numbers can be generated.
- Parity checking: XOR operations are used in parity checking to determine if the number of bits set to 1 in a binary word is odd or even. This is often used in computer memory systems to detect errors.
- Image processing: XOR operations can be used in image processing to perform operations like image blending, edge detection, and watermarking.
- Digital signal processing: XOR operations are used in digital signal processing algorithms like Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and convolution to perform operations on digital signals.
- Cryptographic hash functions: XOR operations are used in cryptographic hash functions like MD5 and SHA-1 to create a unique hash value for a given input.
- Network protocols: XOR operations are used in network protocols like TCP and UDP to calculate checksums for data packets to ensure data integrity during transmission.
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