What are bitwise shifts in programming?

What are bitwise shifts in programming?

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

Can you explain how left and right shifts differ?

Sure! A left shift (<<) moves bits to the left, filling with zeros, which multiplies the number by 2 for each shift. A right shift (>>) moves bits to the right, which divides the number by 2 for each shift, discarding the least significant bits.

What happens to the sign bit in a right shift?

In a logical right shift, the sign bit is filled with zeros, while in an arithmetic right shift, the sign bit is preserved, maintaining the number's sign.

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

Absolutely! If you have the binary number 0001 (which is 1 in decimal) and you perform a left shift, it becomes 0010 (which is 2 in decimal).