What are bitwise shift operations?

What are bitwise shift operations?

Bitwise shift operations are used to shift the bits of a binary number left or right, effectively multiplying or dividing the number by powers of two.

Can you explain how left shift works with an example?

Sure! A left shift operation (<<) moves all bits to the left, filling in with zeros. For example, if you left shift the binary number 0001 (which is 1 in decimal) by 2, it becomes 0100 (which is 4 in decimal).

What about right shift? How does it differ?

Right shift (>>) moves bits to the right. For instance, shifting 0100 (4 in decimal) right by 1 gives you 0010 (2 in decimal). It can also fill with zeros or the sign bit, depending on the type of right shift.

Are there any practical applications for these operations?

Yes, bitwise shifts are commonly used in low-level programming, graphics, and performance optimization tasks, such as quickly multiplying or dividing by powers of two.