Bitwise Operators in Python

Python, a versatile programming language, provides various operators to manipulate data. Among these, bitwise operators are often overlooked by novice programmers.

However, mastering bitwise operators can unlock powerful capabilities, especially when dealing with low-level programming, cryptography, and optimization tasks.

In this module, we will explore the fundamentals of bitwise operators in Python, discussing their functionalities and providing practical code examples.

Bitwise operators perform operations on individual bits of binary numbers. They allow you to manipulate data at the bit level, providing fine-grained control over data representation and transformations.

Python supports the following bitwise operators:

1. Bitwise AND (&): Sets each bit to 1 if both corresponding bits in the operands are 1.
2. Bitwise OR (|): Sets each bit to 1 if either of the corresponding bits in the operands is 1.
3. Bitwise XOR (^): Sets each bit to 1 if exactly one of the corresponding bits in the operands is 1.
4. Bitwise NOT (~): Inverts all the bits.
5. Left Shift (<<): Shifts the bits to the left by the specified number of positions, effectively multiplying the number by 2.
6. Right Shift (>>): Shifts the bits to the right by the specified number of positions, effectively dividing the number by 2.