Bitwise operators in Rust - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Bitwise operators

Start with two numbers

↓

Apply bitwise operator (&, |, ^, <<, >>)

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Operate on each bit position

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Combine bits to form result

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Output the result

Bitwise operators work on each bit of two numbers, combining them to produce a new number.

Execution Sample

Rust

let a = 6;  // 0b0110
let b = 3;  // 0b0011
let c = a & b;
println!("{}", c);

This code performs a bitwise AND on 6 and 3, then prints the result.

Execution Table

Step	Operation	Bits of a	Bits of b	Bitwise & Result	Decimal Result
1	Start	0110	0011	-	-
2	Bit 3 (leftmost): 0 & 0	0	0	0	0
3	Bit 2: 1 & 0	1	0	0	0
4	Bit 1: 1 & 1	1	1	1	1
5	Bit 0 (rightmost): 0 & 1	0	1	0	0
6	Combine bits: 0010	-	-	0010	2
7	Print result	-	-	-	2

💡 All bits processed, final result is 2

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After & operation	Final
a	6 (0b0110)	6 (0b0110)	6 (0b0110)
b	3 (0b0011)	3 (0b0011)	3 (0b0011)
c	-	2 (0b0010)	2 (0b0010)

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does bit 2 result in 0 even though a has 1 there?

Because bitwise AND requires both bits to be 1. Here, b's bit 2 is 0, so 1 & 0 = 0 (see execution_table row 3).

Why is the final decimal result 2?

The combined bits after AND are 0010, which equals 2 in decimal (see execution_table row 6).

What happens if we use bitwise OR instead of AND?

Bits where either a or b is 1 become 1. The result would be 0111 (decimal 7), different from AND (see concept_flow).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the bitwise AND result at bit 1 (step 4)?

A 2

B 0

C 1

D 3

💡 Hint

Check execution_table row 4 under 'Bitwise & Result'

At which step does the combined bits form the final result?

A Step 6

B Step 5

C Step 7

D Step 3

💡 Hint

Look for 'Combine bits' in execution_table

If variable b was 7 (0b0111) instead of 3, what would be the decimal result after AND?

A 7

B 6

C 3

D 2

💡 Hint

AND with 6 (0110) and 7 (0111) keeps bits where both are 1

Concept Snapshot

Bitwise operators work on bits of numbers.
& (AND): 1 if both bits 1.
| (OR): 1 if either bit 1.
^ (XOR): 1 if bits differ.
<<, >> shift bits left/right.
Used for fast, low-level operations.

Full Transcript

This lesson shows how bitwise operators work in Rust. We start with two numbers, 6 and 3, and apply the bitwise AND operator. Each bit of the numbers is compared: only bits where both are 1 become 1 in the result. We trace each bit step-by-step, showing how the final result 2 is formed. Key points include understanding how bits combine and why the result is what it is. The quiz tests understanding of bitwise AND at specific bits and how changing inputs affects results.