What is & symbol in C language?

In C language, the & symbol represents the bitwise AND operator. It operates bitwise on two bit patterns, and if both bits are 1, the result is 1; otherwise, the result is 0. The bitwise AND operator is used to set or clear specific bits, test the state of bits, and combine bit patterns.

What does the & symbol mean in C language?

In C language, the & symbol is the bitwise AND operator. It is used to logically AND the corresponding bits in two bit patterns.

Bitwise AND operation

The bitwise AND operation symbol & operates on each corresponding bit. If both bits are 1, the result is 1; otherwise, the result is 0.

For example:

1101 & 1010

will produce the result:

1000

because:

1 & 1 = 1
1 & 0 = 0
0 & 1 = 0
1 & 0 = 0

Usage

The bitwise AND operator is often used for the following purposes:

• Set or clear specific bits in the bit pattern.
• Test the state of a specific bit in a bit pattern.
• Combine bit patterns to create new patterns.

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