C Operators
What are Operators in C?
Operators are symbols used to perform operations on variables and values.
Operators help in calculations, comparisons, and logical decisions.
Examples of operators are +, -, *, /, %, ==, >, <, &&, ||.
Why Operators are Important?
Operators are important because they:
• Perform mathematical calculations.
• Compare values and conditions.
• Help make decisions in programs.
• Reduce code complexity and improve efficiency.
Types of Operators in C
C provides different types of operators for different purposes.
The main types of operators are:
• Arithmetic Operators
• Relational Operators
• Logical Operators
• Assignment Operators
• Increment and Decrement Operators
• Bitwise Operators
• Conditional (Ternary) Operator
Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators are used to perform mathematical calculations.
Common arithmetic operators are:
• + (Addition)
• – (Subtraction)
• * (Multiplication)
• / (Division)
• % (Modulus – Remainder)
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 10, b = 5;
printf(“Addition = %d\n”, a + b);
printf(“Subtraction = %d\n”, a – b);
printf(“Multiplication = %d\n”, a * b);
printf(“Division = %d\n”, a / b);
printf(“Modulus = %d\n”, a % b);
return 0;
}
Output
Addition = 15
Subtraction = 5
Multiplication = 50
Division = 2
Modulus = 0
Explanation
• int a = 10, b = 5; → Declares and initializes two integer variables.
• a + b → Performs addition and gives 15.
• a – b → Performs subtraction and gives 5.
• a * b → Performs multiplication and gives 50.
• a / b → Performs division and gives 2.
• a % b → Returns the remainder after division, which is 0.
• printf() → Displays the result on the screen.
• return 0; → Ends the program successfully.
Relational Operators
Relational operators are used to compare two values.
These operators return either True (1) or False (0).
Common relational operators are:
• == (Equal to)
• != (Not Equal to)
• > (Greater Than)
• < (Less Than)
• >= (Greater Than or Equal To)
• <= (Less Than or Equal To)
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 10, b = 20;
printf(“a == b : %d\n”, a == b);
printf(“a != b : %d\n”, a != b);
printf(“a > b : %d\n”, a > b);
printf(“a < b : %d\n”, a < b);
return 0;
}
Output
a == b : 0
a != b : 1
a > b : 0
a < b : 1
Explanation
• a == b → Checks whether both values are equal.
• a != b → Checks whether values are different.
• a > b → Checks whether a is greater than b.
• a < b → Checks whether a is less than b.
• Output 1 means True.
• Output 0 means False.
• Relational operators are mainly used in decision-making statements such as if, if-else, and loops.
Logical Operators
Logical operators are used to combine multiple conditions.
They return either True (1) or False (0).
Common logical operators are:
• && (Logical AND)
• || (Logical OR)
• ! (Logical NOT)
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 10, b = 20;
printf(“(a < b && a > 5) = %d\n”, (a < b && a > 5));
printf(“(a > b || a < 15) = %d\n”, (a > b || a < 15));
printf(“!(a > b) = %d\n”, !(a > b));
return 0;
}
Output
(a < b && a > 5) = 1
(a > b || a < 15) = 1
!(a > b) = 1
Explanation
• && returns True only if both conditions are True.
• || returns True if at least one condition is True.
• ! reverses the result of a condition.
• Logical operators are widely used in decision-making and loops.
• Output 1 means True.
• Output 0 means False.
Assignment Operators
Assignment operators are used to assign values to variables.
The most commonly used assignment operators are:
• = (Assign)
• += (Add and Assign)
• -= (Subtract and Assign)
• *= (Multiply and Assign)
• /= (Divide and Assign)
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 10;
a += 5;
printf(“a += 5 : %d\n”, a);
a -= 3;
printf(“a -= 3 : %d\n”, a);
a *= 2;
printf(“a *= 2 : %d\n”, a);
a /= 4;
printf(“a /= 4 : %d\n”, a);
return 0;
}
Output
a += 5 : 15
a -= 3 : 12
a *= 2 : 24
a /= 4 : 6
Explanation
• = assigns a value to a variable.
• += adds a value and stores the result.
• -= subtracts a value and stores the result.
• *= multiplies a value and stores the result.
• /= divides a value and stores the result.
• Assignment operators make code shorter and easier to read.
Increment and Decrement Operators
Increment and Decrement operators are used to increase or decrease the value of a variable by 1.
The two operators are:
• ++ (Increment Operator)
• — (Decrement Operator)
Increment increases the value by 1.
Decrement decreases the value by 1.
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 10;
a++;
printf(“After Increment : %d\n”, a);
a–;
printf(“After Decrement : %d\n”, a);
return 0;
}
Output
After Increment : 11
After Decrement : 10
Explanation
• int a = 10; → Initializes variable a with value 10.
• a++; → Increases the value of a by 1.
• a–; → Decreases the value of a by 1.
• printf() → Displays the result on the screen.
• Increment operator (++) adds 1 to the variable.
• Decrement operator (–) subtracts 1 from the variable.
Bitwise Operators
Bitwise operators perform operations on the binary representation of numbers.
Common bitwise operators are:
• & (Bitwise AND)
• | (Bitwise OR)
• ^ (Bitwise XOR)
• ~ (Bitwise NOT)
• << (Left Shift)
• >> (Right Shift)
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int a = 5, b = 3;
printf(“a & b = %d\n”, a & b);
printf(“a | b = %d\n”, a | b);
printf(“a ^ b = %d\n”, a ^ b);
return 0;
}
Output
a & b = 1
a | b = 7
a ^ b = 6
Explanation
• & performs Bitwise AND operation.
• | performs Bitwise OR operation.
• ^ performs Bitwise XOR operation.
• Bitwise operators work directly on binary values.
• They are commonly used in low-level programming and embedded systems.
Conditional (Ternary) Operator
The Conditional (Ternary) Operator is a shorthand form of the if-else statement.
It is represented by ? :
Syntax:
condition ? expression1 : expression2;
If the condition is true, expression1 is executed.
If the condition is false, expression2 is executed.
Example Program
Program
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
{
int age = 18;
(age >= 18) ? printf(“Eligible to Vote”) : printf(“Not Eligible”);
return 0;
}
Output
Eligible to Vote
Explanation
• age >= 18 checks the condition.
• ? is used to separate the true expression.
• : is used to separate the false expression.
• Since age is 18, the condition is true.
• Therefore, “Eligible to Vote” is displayed.
• The ternary operator makes code shorter and easier to read.
Key Points
• Operators are used to perform operations on variables and values.
• Arithmetic operators perform mathematical calculations.
• Relational operators compare values and return True (1) or False (0).
• Logical operators combine multiple conditions.
• Assignment operators assign values to variables.
• Increment and Decrement operators increase or decrease values by 1.
• Bitwise operators work on binary values.
• The Conditional (Ternary) Operator is a shorthand form of if-else.