Bitwise operators in Rust - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the bitwise AND operator (&) do in Rust?

It compares each bit of two numbers and returns a new number where each bit is 1 only if both bits in the original numbers were 1; otherwise, the bit is 0.

beginner

Explain the bitwise OR operator (|) in Rust.

It compares each bit of two numbers and returns a new number where each bit is 1 if at least one of the bits in the original numbers was 1; otherwise, the bit is 0.

beginner

What is the purpose of the bitwise XOR operator (^) in Rust?

It compares each bit of two numbers and returns a new number where each bit is 1 if the bits are different (one is 1 and the other is 0); if the bits are the same, the bit is 0.

beginner

How does the bitwise NOT operator (~) work in Rust?

It flips every bit of a number: all 1 bits become 0, and all 0 bits become 1. Note: In Rust, the bitwise NOT operator is ~, not !.

intermediate

What do the left shift (<<) and right shift (>>) operators do in Rust?

Left shift (<<) moves all bits in a number to the left by a specified number of places, adding zeros on the right. Right shift (>>) moves bits to the right, discarding bits on the right and filling in on the left depending on the type.

What is the result of 5 & 3 in Rust? (5 = 0101, 3 = 0011 in binary)

A 0

B 1

C 6

D 7

Bitwise AND compares bits: 0101 & 0011 = 0001, which is 1 in decimal.

Which operator flips all bits of a number in Rust?

A ~

B |

C &

D ^

The ~ operator is the bitwise NOT operator that flips all bits.

What does the expression 4 << 1 evaluate to in Rust?

A 8

B 2

C 5

D 1

Left shifting 4 (0100) by 1 bit gives 1000, which is 8.

Which bitwise operator returns 1 only if bits are different?

A &

B |

C ~

D ^

The XOR (^) operator returns 1 when bits differ.

What is the result of 7 | 2 in Rust? (7 = 0111, 2 = 0010 in binary)

A 5

B 3

C 7

D 2

Bitwise OR: 0111 | 0010 = 0111, which is 7.

Describe how the bitwise AND, OR, and XOR operators work with simple examples.

Think about comparing bits like switches being on or off.

Explain what happens when you use left shift (<<) and right shift (>>) operators on a number.

Imagine sliding beads on a string to the left or right.