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In Java, operators are special symbols used to perform operations on variables and values.
They form the backbone of any Java program, enabling calculations, decisions, and logical flows.
An operator is a symbol that tells the compiler to perform specific mathematical, logical, or relational operations on operands (values or variables).
Example:
int a = 10, b = 5;
int sum = a + b; // '+' is an arithmetic operator
Here,
a and b are operands+ is the operatorsum is the resultJava provides several categories of operators:
| Category | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic Operators | Perform mathematical calculations | +, -, *, /, % |
| Relational Operators | Compare two values | ==, !=, >, <, >=, <= |
| Logical Operators | Combine multiple conditions | &&, ` |
| Bitwise Operators | Operate on bits | &, ` |
| Assignment Operators | Assign values to variables | =, +=, -=, *=, /=, %= |
| Unary Operators | Work with a single operand | ++, --, +, -, !, ~ |
| Ternary Operator | Conditional short form of if-else | ? : |
| instanceof Operator | Tests whether an object is of a specific type | obj instanceof ClassName |
Used for basic mathematical operations.
| Operator | Description | Example | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
+ | Addition | 10 + 5 | 15 |
- | Subtraction | 10 - 5 | 5 |
* | Multiplication | 10 * 5 | 50 |
/ | Division | 10 / 3 | 3 |
% | Modulus (Remainder) | 10 % 3 | 1 |
Example:
int a = 10, b = 3;
System.out.println(a + b);
System.out.println(a / b);
System.out.println(a % b);
Used to assign values to variables.
They can also perform an operation while assigning.
| Operator | Example | Equivalent To |
|---|---|---|
= | a = 5; | — |
+= | a += 5; | a = a + 5; |
-= | a -= 5; | a = a - 5; |
*= | a *= 5; | a = a * 5; |
/= | a /= 5; | a = a / 5; |
%= | a %= 5; | a = a % 5; |
Used with a single operand to perform increment, decrement, or negation.
| Operator | Description | Example | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
+ | Unary plus (no change) | +a | a |
- | Unary minus (negates value) | -a | negative of a |
++ | Increment | a++ or ++a | increases by 1 |
-- | Decrement | a-- or --a | decreases by 1 |
! | Logical NOT | !true | false |
~ | Bitwise Complement | ~5 | -6 |
Example:
int a = 5;
System.out.println(++a); // 6
System.out.println(a--); // 6, then a = 5
System.out.println(-a); // -5
Used to compare two values, returning a boolean result (true or false).
| Operator | Description | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
== | Equal to | 5 == 5 | true |
!= | Not equal to | 5 != 3 | true |
> | Greater than | 5 > 3 | true |
< | Less than | 5 < 3 | false |
>= | Greater than or equal | 5 >= 5 | true |
<= | Less than or equal | 5 <= 4 | false |
Used to combine multiple boolean expressions.
| Operator | Description | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
&& | Logical AND | (a > 5 && b < 10) | true if both true |
| ` | ` | Logical OR | |
! | Logical NOT | !(a > 5) | reverses result |
Example:
int a = 10, b = 20;
System.out.println(a > 5 && b > 15); // true
System.out.println(a < 5 || b > 15); // true
System.out.println(!(a == b)); // true
Work at bit level (0s and 1s).
Used for low-level programming, encryption, and optimization.
| Operator | Description | Example | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
& | AND | 5 & 3 | 1 |
| ` | ` | OR | `5 |
^ | XOR | 5 ^ 3 | 6 |
~ | Complement | ~5 | -6 |
<< | Left Shift | 5 << 1 | 10 |
>> | Right Shift | 5 >> 1 | 2 |
>>> | Unsigned Right Shift | -5 >>> 1 | large positive value |
Example:
int a = 5, b = 3;
System.out.println(a & b); // 1
System.out.println(a | b); // 7
System.out.println(a ^ b); // 6
System.out.println(a << 1); // 10
System.out.println(a >> 1); // 2
A short form of if-else.
Syntax:
variable = (condition) ? value_if_true : value_if_false;
Example:
int age = 20;
String result = (age >= 18) ? "Eligible" : "Not Eligible";
System.out.println(result);
Checks whether an object belongs to a particular class or subclass.
String name = "Java";
boolean check = name instanceof String;
System.out.println(check); // true
Determines the order in which operators are executed in complex expressions.
| Precedence | Operator | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | (), [], . | Parentheses, array access |
++, --, !, ~ | Unary | |
*, /, % | Multiplicative | |
+, - | Additive | |
<<, >>, >>> | Shift | |
<, >, <=, >=, instanceof | Relational | |
==, != | Equality | |
&, ^, ` | ` | |
&&, ` | ||
?: | Ternary | |
| Lowest | =, +=, -= etc. | Assignment |
Example:
int result = 10 + 5 * 2; // result = 20, not 30
public class JavaOperators {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int a = 10, b = 5;
System.out.println("Arithmetic: " + (a + b));
System.out.println("Relational: " + (a > b));
System.out.println("Logical: " + (a > 0 && b > 0));
System.out.println("Bitwise AND: " + (a & b));
System.out.println("Ternary: " + ((a > b) ? "A is greater" : "B is greater"));
}
}
Output:
Arithmetic: 15
Relational: true
Logical: true
Bitwise AND: 0
Ternary: A is greater