How does bitwise manipulation work?

Answer 1

Bitwise manipulation in C involves using operators to alter individual integer bits. Key operators are:

& (Bitwise AND): Bits from both numbers result in 1 only if both bits are 1.
| (Bitwise OR): Bits from either number result in 1 if either or both bits are 1.
^ (Bitwise XOR): Bits differ between numbers, resulting in 1, otherwise 0.
~ (Bitwise NOT): Inverts all bits in an integer.
<< (Left Shift): Moves integer bits left by a specified count.
>> (Right Shift): Shifts integer bits right by a set count.
These operators manipulate bits within integers for flag-setting, field extraction, memory optimization, etc. For instance, tasks include bit checks, toggling bits, and more. Example:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
int num = 5; // Binary: 0101
int mask = 1 << 3; // Create a mask with the 3rd bit set (00001000)

num = num | mask; // Set the 3rd bit using bitwise OR

printf("Result: %d\n", num); // Output: Result: 13 (Binary: 1101)
return 0;
}