Operators are integral to Python programming because they combine values and identifiers to form expressions and statements. They act as fundamental building blocks, enabling various operations, such as mathematical calculations, logical comparisons, assignment of values, and more, for writing effective Python code.
Operators and Operands
Python operators are symbols that are used to perform mathematical or logical manipulations. Operands are the values or variables with which operators are applied, and the values of operands can be manipulated using operators.
Let us take a Scenario:
6 + 2, where there are two operands, a plus is the "+" operator, and the result will be 8.
In the above text, a single operator is used to manipulate the values. The "+" operator performs addition, "-" performs subtraction, "*" performs multiplication, "/" performs division, and "**" performs exponentiation.
Types of Python Operators
Python programming language is rich with built-in operators.
- Arithmetic Operators
- Assignment Operators
- Comparison (Relational) Operators
- Logical Operators
- Identity Operators
- Bitwise Operators
- Membership Operators
Arithmetic Operators
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| + | Addition | Adds the values on either side of the operator and calculates a result. |
| - | Subtraction | Subtracts values of right-side operand from left-side operand. |
| * | Multiplication | Multiplies the values on both sides of the operator. |
| / | Division | Divides the left-side operand with the right-side operand. |
| % | Modulus | It returns the remainder by dividing the left-side operand with the right-side operand. |
| ** | Exponent | Calculates the exponential power |
| // | Floor Division | Here the result is the quotient in which the digits after decimal points are not considered. |
Assignment Operators
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| = | Equal | Assigns the values of the right-side operand to the left-side operand. |
| += | Add AND | Adds right-side operand value to the left-side operand value and assigns the results to the left. |
| -= | Subtract AND | Subtracts right-side operand value to the left-side operand value and assigns the results to the left operand. |
| *= | Multiply AND | Similarly, it does their respective operations and assigns the operator value to the left operand. |
| /= | Division AND | |
| %= | Modulus AND | |
| **= | Exponent AND | |
| //= | Floor Division AND |
Comparison (Relational) Operators
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| == | Double Equal | If the two values of its operands are equal, then the condition becomes true, otherwise false |
| != or <> | Not Equal To | If two operands' values are unequal, the condition becomes true. Both operators define the same meaning and function. |
| > | Greater Than | If the value of the left-hand operand is greater than that of the right-hand operand, the condition becomes true. |
| < | Less Than | If the value of the left-hand operand is less than that of the right, then the condition becomes true. |
| <= | Less Than Equal To | If the value of the left-hand operand is less than or equal to that of the right-hand operand, the condition becomes true. |
| >= | Greater Than Equal To | If the value of the left-hand operand is greater than or equal to that of the right-hand operand, the condition becomes true. |
Logical Operators
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| or | Logical OR | The condition is true if any of the two operands are non-zero. |
| and | Logical AND | If both the operands are true, then the condition is true. |
| not | Logical NOT | It is used to reverse the logical state of its operand. |
Identity Operators
For comparing the memory locations of two objects, identity operators are used.
There are two types of identity operators. These are:
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| is | is | The result becomes true if values on either side of the operator point to the same object and False otherwise. |
| is not | is not | The result becomes False if the variables on either side of the operator point to the same object. |
Bitwise Operators
These operators are used to manipulate bits, & perform bit-by-bit operations.
There are six types of bitwise operators supported by Python. These are:
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| & | Binary AND | This operator copies the bit to the result if it exists in both operands. |
| | | Binary OR | This operator copies the bit if it exists in either of the operands. |
| ^ | Binary XOR | This operator copies the bit if it is set in one operand but not both. |
| ~ | Binary 1s Complement | This is a unary operator and can 'flip' bits. |
| << | Binary Left Shift | The left operand value is moved left by the number of bits specified by the right operand using this operator. |
| >> | Binary Right Shift | The left operand value is moved right by the number of bits specified by the right operand using this operator. |
Membership Operators
| Symbol | Operator Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| in | in | The result of this operation becomes True if it finds a value in a specified sequence & False otherwise. |
| not in | not in | The result of this operation becomes True if it doesn't find a value in a specified sequence and False otherwise. |