Swap Two Numbers Without using a Temporary Variable in PHP
Last Updated :
27 Feb, 2024
Given two numbers, the task is to swap both numbers without using temporary variables in PHP. Swapping two numbers is a common programming task. Typically, a temporary variable is used to hold the value of one of the numbers during the swap. However, it is also possible to swap two numbers without using a temporary variable. In this article, we will explore a PHP program that accomplishes this using arithmetic operations.
Swap Two Numbers using Arithmetic Operations
One way to swap two numbers without using a temporary variable is by using arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction.
PHP
<?php
$a = 10;
$b = 20;
echo "Before swapping: a = $a, b = $b\n" ;
$a = $a + $b ;
$b = $a - $b ;
$a = $a - $b ;
echo "After swapping: a = $a, b = $b\n" ;
?>
|
Output
Before swapping: a = 10, b = 20
After swapping: a = 20, b = 10
Explanation:
- Initially,
a
is 10 and b
is 20.
- After the first operation,
a
becomes 30 (10 + 20).
- After the second operation,
b
becomes 10 (30 – 20).
- After the third operation,
a
becomes 20 (30 – 10).
- As a result, the values of
a
and b
are swapped without using a temporary variable.
Swap Two Numbers using Bitwise XOR Operator
Another way to swap two numbers without using a temporary variable is by using the bitwise XOR (^) operator.
PHP
<?php
$a = 10;
$b = 20;
echo "Before swapping: a = $a, b = $b\n" ;
$a = $a ^ $b ;
$b = $a ^ $b ;
$a = $a ^ $b ;
echo "After swapping: a = $a, b = $b\n" ;
?>
|
Output
Before swapping: a = 10, b = 20
After swapping: a = 20, b = 10
Explanation:
- The XOR operation is used to toggle the bits in the numbers.
- After the first operation,
a
holds the combined bits of a
and b
.
- After the second operation,
b
becomes the original value of a
.
- After the third operation,
a
becomes the original value of b
.
- This method effectively swaps the values of
a
and b
without using a temporary variable.
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