What are bitwise shifts in Python and how do I use them?

What are bitwise shifts in Python and how do I use them?

Bitwise shifts in Python are operations that shift the bits of a number left or right. You can use '<<' for left shift and '>>' for right shift.

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

Sure! If you have the number 2 (which is 10 in binary) and you left shift it by 1 (2 << 1), it becomes 4 (which is 100 in binary).

What about right shift? How does that work?

Right shift works similarly. For example, if you take 8 (which is 1000 in binary) and right shift it by 1 (8 >> 1), it becomes 4 (which is 100 in binary).

Are there any practical uses for bitwise shifts?

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