What are bitwise shifts in Python and how are they used?

What are bitwise shifts in Python and how are they used?

Bitwise shifts in Python are operations that shift the bits of a number left or right. They are used for efficient multiplication or division by powers of two.

Can you give me an example of a left shift operation?

Sure! If you have the number 5 (which is 101 in binary) and you perform a left shift by 1 (5 << 1), it becomes 10 (1010 in binary). This is equivalent to multiplying by 2.

What about a right shift? How does that work?

A right shift operation shifts the bits to the right. For example, if you take 8 (which is 1000 in binary) and perform a right shift by 1 (8 >> 1), it becomes 4 (which is 100 in binary). This is equivalent to dividing by 2.

Are there any practical applications for bitwise shifts?

Yes, bitwise shifts are often used in low-level programming, graphics, and performance optimization tasks, such as manipulating flags or encoding data.