C++ Operators

Operators are one of the most important parts of C++. They are used to perform different operations on variables and values. Whether you want to add two numbers, compare values, check conditions, or perform calculations, you will use operators.

For example, if you write 10 + 20, the + symbol is an operator that adds two values together. Similarly, >, ==, and && are also operators that perform different tasks.

In this tutorial, you will learn about Arithmetic Operators in C++, assignment operators, Relational Operators in C++, Logical Operators in C++, increment and decrement operators, bitwise operators, the conditional operator, Operator Precedence in C++, and associativity.

Arithmetic Operators in C++

Arithmetic operators are used to perform mathematical calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Example

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    int a = 15, b = 4;

    cout << "Addition = " << a + b << endl;
    cout << "Subtraction = " << a - b << endl;
    cout << "Multiplication = " << a * b << endl;
    cout << "Division = " << a / b << endl;
    cout << "Remainder = " << a % b;

    return 0;
}

Arithmetic operators are used in almost every C++ program because calculations are a common part of programming.

Assignment Operators

An assignment operator is used to assign a value to a variable.

The most commonly used assignment operator is =.

Example

int marks = 90;

Here, the value 90 is assigned to the variable marks.

C++ also provides shorthand assignment operators.

These operators make the code shorter and easier to read.

Relational Operators in C++

Sometimes you need to compare two values. For example, checking whether one number is greater than another or whether two values are equal. This is where Relational Operators in C++ are used.

Example

int a = 20;
int b = 15;

cout << (a > b);

Since 20 is greater than 15, the output will be 1, which means true.

Relational operators always return either true (1) or false (0).

Logical Operators in C++

Logical operators are used when you want to check more than one condition at the same time.

The three logical operators are:

Example

int age = 22;

cout << (age >= 18 && age <= 60);

Here, both conditions are true, so the result will also be true.

Logical operators are commonly used with if, while, and other control statements.

Increment and Decrement Operators

The increment operator (++) increases a variable’s value by 1, while the decrement operator (--) decreases it by 1.

Example

int x = 10;

x++;
cout << x;

Output

11

Similarly,

x--;

reduces the value by one.

These operators are frequently used inside loops.

Bitwise Operators

Bitwise operators work on the binary form of numbers. They are mainly used in system programming, embedded systems, and performance-related applications.

Some common bitwise operators are:

If you are a beginner, don’t worry if these operators look confusing. You will understand them better after learning binary numbers.

Conditional Operator

The conditional operator (?:) is also known as the ternary operator. It is a shorter way of writing a simple if...else statement.

Syntax

condition ? value1 : value2;

Example

int age = 18;

cout << (age >= 18 ? "Eligible" : "Not Eligible");

If the condition is true, "Eligible" is printed. Otherwise, "Not Eligible" is displayed.

Operator Precedence in C++

Sometimes a statement contains more than one operator.

For example:

int result = 10 + 5 * 2;

Will addition happen first or multiplication?

C++ follows a set of rules called Operator Precedence. Operators with higher precedence are evaluated before operators with lower precedence.

In the above example, multiplication is performed first.

10 + (5 × 2)

So, the final answer is 20, not 30.

Using brackets () is always a good practice because they make your code easier to understand.

Associativity

What happens if two operators have the same precedence?

In that case, C++ follows another rule called associativity. It decides whether the expression is evaluated from left to right or right to left.

For example:

int result = 20 - 10 - 5;

Subtraction has left-to-right associativity.

So, C++ evaluates it like this:

(20 - 10) - 5

The final answer is 5.

Understanding precedence and associativity helps you write correct expressions and avoid unexpected results.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Written by Shubhranshu Shekhar, who has trained 20000+ students in coding.

Nidhi Srivastav