JS Operators

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Operators are essential components in programming languages, including JavaScript. They are symbols or keywords used to perform operations on variables and values. These operations can range from simple arithmetic calculations to complex logical comparisons.

What is an Operator?

An operator is a symbol or function that performs a specific operation on one or more operands (values or variables). Operators are fundamental to programming, allowing developers to manipulate data, control the flow of programs, and make decisions based on conditions.

In JavaScript, operators are used to perform a variety of tasks, including:

1. Arithmetic Operators

2. Comparison (Relational) Operators

3. Bitwise Operators

4. Logical Operators

5. Assignment Operators

6. Special Operators

Arithmetic Operators

Purpose: Perform basic mathematical operations.

Operator Description Example Result
+ Addition 5 + 3 8
- Subtraction 5 - 3 2
* Multiplication 5 * 3 15
/ Division 6 / 3 2
% Modulus 5 % 3 2
++ Increment x++ (where x=5) 6
-- Decrement x-- (where x=5) 4

Comparison (Relational) Operators

Purpose: Compare two values and return a boolean result (true or false).

Operator Description Example Result
== Equal to 5 == 5 true
!= Not equal to 5 != 3 true
> Greater than 5 > 3 true
< Less than 5 < 3 false
>= Greater than or equal to 5 >= 5 true
<= Less than or equal to 5 <= 3 false

Bitwise Operators

Purpose: Operate on the binary representations of numbers.

Operator Description Example Result
& Bitwise AND 5 & 3 1
| Bitwise OR 5 | 3 7
^ Bitwise XOR 5 ^ 3 6
~ Bitwise NOT ~5 -6
<< Left shift 5 << 1 10
>> Right shift 5 >> 1 2

Logical Operators

Purpose: Combine or negate boolean values.

Operator Description Example Result
&& Logical AND true && false false
|| Logical OR true || false true
! Logical NOT !true false

Assignment Operators

Purpose: Assign values to variables and perform operations.

Operator Description Example Result
= Assignment x = 5 x is 5
+= Addition assignment x += 5 (if x = 10) 15
-= Subtraction assignment x -= 5 (if x = 10) 5
*= Multiplication assignment x *= 5 (if x = 10) 50
/= Division assignment x /= 5 (if x = 10) 2
%= Modulus assignment x %= 5 (if x = 10) 0

Special Operators

Purpose: Provide additional functionality.

Operator Description
(?:) The conditional (ternary) operator evaluates a condition and returns one value if true and another if false.
, The comma operator evaluates multiple expressions and returns the result of the last expression.
delete The delete operator removes a property from an object, or an element from an array.
in The in operator checks if a specified property exists in an object or its prototype chain.
instanceof The instanceof operator checks whether an object is an instance of a specific constructor function.
new The new operator creates a new instance of an object based on a constructor function.
typeof The typeof operator returns a string indicating the type of a variable or expression.
void The void operator evaluates an expression and returns undefined, effectively discarding the result.
yield The yield operator is used within a generator function to pause execution and return a value to the generator's iterator.
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