An operator is a symbol that performs an operation on one, two, or three operands, and produces a result. The type of the operator and its operands determines the kind of operation performed on the operands and the type of result produced.

Operators in Java

Operators are special characters within the Java language to manipulate primitive data types. Java provides a rich set of operators to manipulate variables which can be classified as :

• Unary : Takes one argument. These operators appear before (prefix) its argument or after (postfix) its argument.

• Binary : Takes two arguments.  These operators appear between their arguments.

• Ternary : Takes three arguments. These operators appear between their arguments.

What are the different types of Operators in Java?

• Assignment Operators : =

• Arithmetic Operators: - + * / % ++ --

• Relational Operators : > < >= <= == !=

• Logical Operators : && || & | ! ^

• Conditional Operator : ?

• Bitwise Operator : & | ^ >> >>>

• Compound Assignment Operators :  += -= *= /= %=

Assignment Operator in Java

Assignment Operator is denoted by the symbol “=” and it is the most commonly used operator. it simply assigns the value on the right to the variable on the left. Syntax of the assignment operator is:-

<variable> = <expression>.

Examples

public class Assignment_Operators {
	//Normal Assignment
	static int speed = 80; // speed variable gets the value 80
	static int distance = 20; // distance variable gets the value 20
	static int time = 10; // time variable gets the value 10
	static String name = "ToolsQA"; // name variable gets the value ToolsQA
	static boolean isGood = true; // isGood variable gets the value true

	public static void main(String[] args) {

		System.out.println("Value stored in the speed variable is : " + speed);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the distance variable is : " + distance);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the time variable is : " + time);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the name variable is : " + name);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the isGood variable is : " + isGood);

		speed = 100; // Previous value of speed is overwritten with 100
		time = distance; // Previous value of time is overwritten with distance value
		name = "ForumsQA"; // Previous value of name is overwritten with ForumsQA
		isGood = false; // Previous value of isGood is overwritten with false
		System.out.println("Value stored in the speed variable is : " + speed);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the time variable is : " + time);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the name variable is : " + name);
		System.out.println("Value stored in the isGood variable is : " + isGood);

		//Multiple Assignments
		speed = distance = 0; // 100 (20 = 0) 
		System.out.println("Value stored in the speed variable is : " + speed);

		//Illegal Assignments - Compile time errors
		speed = "ToolsQA"; //String can not be assign to integer
		name = 10; // Integer can not be assign to String
		isGood = "ToolsQa" // String can not be assign to Boolean
		}
	}

OutPut

Value stored in the speed variable is : 80

Value stored in the distance variable is : 20

Value stored in the time variable is : 10

Value stored in the name variable is : ToolsQA

Value stored in the isGood variable is : true

Value stored in the speed variable is : 100

Value stored in the time variable is : 20

Value stored in the name variable is : ForumsQA

Value stored in the isGood variable is : false

Value stored in the speed variable is : 0

Arithmetic Operators in Java

Arithmetic operators perform the same basic operations you would expect if you used them in mathematics. They take two operands and return the result of the mathematical calculation. There are seven important arithmetic operators available in Java:

• Addition '+' : This adds two numbers or concatenate two strings

• Subtraction '-' : This subtracts right-side operand from the left side operand

• Multiplication '*' : This multiplies two numbers

• Division '/' : This divides left side operand by the right side operand

• Modulo '%' : This divides left side operand by the right side operand and returns the remainder

• Increment '++' : This increases the value by 1

• Decrement '- -' : This decreases the value by 1

Examples

package javaTutorials;

public class Arithmetic_Operators {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		int a, b = 10, c = 5;
		a = b + c;
		System.out.println("Value of 'a' after '+' Arithmetic operation is " + a);
		a = b - c;
		System.out.println("Value of 'a' after '-' Arithmetic operation is " + a);
		a = b * c;
		System.out.println("Value of 'a' after '*' Arithmetic operation is " + a);
		a = b / c;
		System.out.println("Value of 'a' after '/' Arithmetic operation is " + a);
		a = b % c;
		System.out.println("Value of 'a' after '%' Arithmetic operation is " + a);
		b++;
		System.out.println("Value of 'b' after '++' Arithmetic operation is " + b);
		c--;
		System.out.println("Value of 'c' after '--' Arithmetic operation is " + c);
	}

}

Output

Value of 'a' after '+' Arithmetic operation is 15

Value of 'a' after '-' Arithmetic operation is 5

Value of 'a' after '*' Arithmetic operation is 50

Value of 'a' after '/' Arithmetic operation is 2

Value of 'a' after '%' Arithmetic operation is 0

Value of 'b' after '++' Arithmetic operation is 11

Value of 'c' after '--' Arithmetic operation is 4

Relational Operators in Java

Relational Operators are used to determine the comparison between two or more objects. These operators always return the boolean value either true or false when used in an expression. In java we have six different relational operators:

• Greater than '>' : This checks if the value of left operand is greater than value of right operand

• Less than '<' : This checks if the value of left operand is less than the value of right operand

• Greater than or Equal to '>=' : This checks if the value of left operand is greater than or equal to the value of right operand

• Less than or Equal to '<=' : This checks if the value of left operand is less than or equal to the value of right operand

• Equal '==' : This checks if the value of both operands are equal

• Not Equal '!=' : This checks if the value of two operands are not equal

Example

package javaTutorials;

public class Relational_Operators {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
			int Ten = 10;	
			int Twenty = 20;
			int Thirty = 30;

			System.out.println("<<<<<< GREATER THAN OPERATOR >>>>>>");
			System.out.println(" Ten > Twenty ==> " + (Ten > Twenty)); //false
			System.out.println(" Twenty > Ten ==> " + (Twenty > Ten)); //true
			System.out.println(" Thirty > Twenty ==> " + (Thirty > Twenty)); //true

			System.out.println("<<<<<< GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>");
			System.out.println(" Ten >= Twenty ==> " + (Ten >= Twenty)); //false
			System.out.println(" Twenty >= Ten ==> " + (Twenty >= Ten)); //true
			System.out.println(" Thirty >= Twenty ==> " + (Thirty >= Twenty)); //true

			System.out.println("<<<<<< LESS THAN OPERATOR >>>>>>");
			System.out.println(" Ten < Twenty ==> " + (Ten < Twenty)); //true
			System.out.println(" Twenty < Ten ==> " + (Twenty < Ten)); //false
			System.out.println(" Thirty < Twenty ==> " + (Thirty < Twenty)); //false

			//less than or equal to
			System.out.println("<<<<<< LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>");
			System.out.println(" Ten <= Twenty ==> " + (Ten <= Twenty)); //true
			System.out.println(" Twenty <= Ten ==> " + (Twenty <= Ten)); //false
			System.out.println(" Thirty <= Twenty ==> " + (Thirty <= Twenty)); //false

			//equal to
			System.out.println("<<<<<< EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>");
			System.out.println(" Ten == Twenty ==> " + (Ten == Twenty)); //false
			System.out.println(" Thirty == Twenty + Ten ==> " + (Thirty == Twenty+Ten)); //true

			//not equal to
			System.out.println("<<<<<< NOT EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>");
			System.out.println(" Ten != Twenty ==> " + (Ten != Twenty)); //true
			System.out.println(" Thirty != Twenty + Ten ==> " + (Thirty != Twenty + Ten)); //false
	}
}

Output:

<<<<<< GREATER THAN OPERATOR >>>>>

Ten > Twenty ==> false

Twenty > Ten ==> true

Thirty > Twenty ==> true

<<<<<< GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>

Ten >= Twenty ==> false

Twenty >= Ten ==> true

Thirty >= Twenty ==> true

<<<<<< LESS THAN OPERATOR >>>>>>

Ten < Twenty ==> true

Twenty < Ten ==> false

Thirty < Twenty ==> false

<<<<<< LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>

Ten <= Twenty ==> true

Twenty <= Ten ==> false

Thirty <= Twenty ==> false

<<<<<< EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>

Ten == Twenty ==> false

Thirty == Twenty + Ten ==> true <<<<<< NOT EQUAL TO OPERATOR >>>>>>

Ten != Twenty ==> true

Thirty != Twenty + Ten ==> false

Logical Operators in Java

Logical operators return a true or false value based on the state of the Variables. Each argument to a logical operator must be a boolean data type, and the result is always a boolean data type. Below are the three most commonly used logical operators:

• And Operator '&&' : This returns true if the output of both the operands are true

• OR Operator '||' : This returns true if the output of either operands are true

• NOT Operator '!' : This inverts the state of the condition

Example

package javaTutorials;

public class Logical_Operators {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		boolean Output_1 = true;
		boolean Output_2 = false;
		System.out.println("Check if both the boolean variables are true : " + (Output_1 && Output_2));
		System.out.println("Check if even one of the boolean varibale is true : " + (Output_1 || Output_2));
		System.out.println("Change the state of the Output_1 to false : " + (!Output_1));

	}

}

Output

Check if both the boolean variables are true : false

Check if even one of the boolean variable is true : true

Change the state of the Output_1 to false : false

Conditional Operator in Java

The conditional operator is the only operator that takes three arguments in Java. The conditional operator is equivalent to if-else statement. It is also known as the ternary operator. This operator consists of three operands and is used to evaluate Boolean expressions. The goal of the operator is to decide which value should be assigned to the variable. The operator is written as:

variable = (expression) ? value if true : value if false

Example

package javaTutorials;

public class Conditional_Operators {

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		int Ten = 10;	
		int Twenty = 20;
		int Thirty = 30;
	    boolean bValue;
	    int iValue;

	    bValue = (Thirty == Twenty + Ten) ? true: false;
	    System.out.println( "The boolean value of the variable 'bValue' is : " +  bValue ); //true

	    iValue = ((Thirty == Twenty + Ten)) ? 50: 100;
	    System.out.println( "The int Value of the variable iValue is : " + iValue ); //50

	    //This is a use of Not Logical Operator
	    iValue = (!(Thirty == Twenty + Ten)) ? 50: 100;
	    System.out.println( "The int Value of the variable iValue is : " + iValue ); //100
	}

}

Output

The boolean value of the variable 'bValue' is : true

The int Value of the variable iValue is : 50

The int Value of the variable iValue is : 100