How do bitwise shifts work?

Can you explain how bitwise shifts work in programming?

Sure! Bitwise shifts are operations that move bits to the left or right in a binary number. They can be used for various purposes, like multiplying or dividing by powers of two.

What happens when I shift a number to the left?

When you shift a number to the left, each bit moves one position to the left, effectively multiplying the number by 2 for each shift. For example, shifting the binary number 0001 (1 in decimal) to the left by 1 gives you 0010 (2 in decimal).

And what about shifting to the right?

Shifting to the right moves each bit one position to the right, which divides the number by 2 for each shift, discarding any remainder. For instance, shifting 0010 (2 in decimal) to the right by 1 results in 0001 (1 in decimal).

Are there any special cases I should be aware of?

Yes, when shifting signed integers, the behavior can vary. For example, right shifts on negative numbers may perform an arithmetic shift, preserving the sign bit, while left shifts can lead to overflow if the result exceeds the maximum value.