JavaScript - Bitwise Operations Part 3: Bitwise OR (|) and XOR (^)

How OR (|) Works

The OR operator returns 1 if at least one bit is 1.

Example 3: OR Operation

console.log(5 | 3); // Output: 7

Binary representation:

5  =  101

3  =  011

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Result = 111  (7 in decimal)

At least one bit is 1, so the result is 7.

How XOR (^) Works

The XOR (Exclusive OR) operator returns 1 only if the bits are different.

Example 4: XOR Operation

console.log(5 ^ 3); // Output: 6

Binary representation:

5  =  101

3  =  011

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Result = 110  (6 in decimal)

Only the middle two bits are different, so the result is 6.

Use Case: Swapping Two Numbers Without a Temporary Variable

let a = 5, b = 3;

a = a ^ b;

b = a ^ b;

a = a ^ b;

console.log(a, b); // Output: 3, 5

Explanation:

XOR helps swap values without needing extra space.