C# Academy · Lesson

Bitwise and Shift Operators

Manipulate bits with &, |, ^, ~, and shifts.

Lesson 3 of 413 steps

Bitwise and Shift Operators is a free C# Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the C# Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

Bits and Binary

Integers are stored as bits. Bitwise operators act on those individual bits. C# offers &, |, ^, ~, <<, and >>.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        int x = 5;
        Console.WriteLine(Convert.ToString(x, 2));
    }
}

Bitwise AND: &

& sets a bit to 1 only when both bits are 1. 5 & 3 compares 101 and 011 to give 001 = 1.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine(5 & 3);
        Console.WriteLine(12 & 10);
    }
}

Bitwise OR: |

| sets a bit to 1 when either bit is 1. 5 | 3 gives 111 = 7.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine(5 | 3);
        Console.WriteLine(8 | 1);
    }
}

Bitwise XOR: ^

^ sets a bit to 1 when the bits differ. 5 ^ 3 gives 110 = 6.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine(5 ^ 3);
        Console.WriteLine(7 ^ 7);
    }
}

Bitwise NOT: ~

~ flips every bit. Because of two-complement representation, ~n equals -(n + 1).

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine(~5);
        Console.WriteLine(~0);
    }
}

Left Shift: <<

<< moves bits left, filling zeros on the right. Each shift by one doubles the value: 1 << 3 is 8.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine(1 << 3);
        Console.WriteLine(5 << 1);
    }
}

Right Shift: >>

>> moves bits right. For positive numbers each shift halves the value: 20 >> 2 is 5.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        Console.WriteLine(20 >> 2);
        Console.WriteLine(8 >> 1);
    }
}

Bit Masks

A mask isolates specific bits. AND a value with a mask to keep only those bits.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        int value = 0b1011;
        int mask = 0b0110;
        Console.WriteLine(value & mask);
    }
}

Setting and Clearing Bits

Use | with a single-bit mask to set a bit, and & with the inverted mask to clear it.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        int flags = 0;
        flags |= (1 << 2);
        Console.WriteLine(flags);
        flags &= ~(1 << 2);
        Console.WriteLine(flags);
    }
}

Checking a Bit

To test whether a bit is set, AND with its mask and compare to non-zero.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        int flags = 0b0100;
        bool isSet = (flags & (1 << 2)) != 0;
        Console.WriteLine(isSet);
    }
}

Shift as Fast Multiply

Shifting is a fast way to multiply or divide by powers of two, common in performance-sensitive code.

using System;

class Program {
    static void Main() {
        int n = 7;
        Console.WriteLine(n << 2);
        Console.WriteLine(n >> 1);
    }
}

Quick Check

Test your bitwise knowledge.

Answer it in the interactive lesson

Recap

Bitwise operators work bit by bit: & AND, | OR, ^ XOR, and ~ NOT. Shifts << and >> move bits left or right, multiplying or dividing by powers of two.

With masks you can set, clear, and test individual bits, the foundation for flags and low-level data work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Bitwise and Shift Operators” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Bitwise and Shift Operators” is free to read here on the web. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the C# Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO. The C# Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Bitwise and Shift Operators”?

Manipulate bits with &, |, ^, ~, and shifts. You practise C# Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start C# Academy?

No prior experience is required. C# Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 3 of 4.

How long does the “Bitwise and Shift Operators” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

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