C Operators

Types of C Operators

🔹 Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators in C perform basic mathematical operations on numeric values and variables. The five fundamental operators are addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), and modulus (%). For instance, int result = (10 + 5) * 2 - 8 / 4; demonstrates operator precedence where multiplication and division execute before addition and subtraction. The modulus operator returns the remainder of division, making it useful for checking even/odd numbers, implementing circular buffers, or creating cyclic patterns. Understanding operator precedence and using parentheses ensures calculations produce expected results in complex expressions.

#include 

int main() {
    int a = 15, b = 4;
    
    printf("Addition: %d + %d = %d\n", a, b, a + b);      // 19
    printf("Subtraction: %d - %d = %d\n", a, b, a - b);   // 11
    printf("Multiplication: %d * %d = %d\n", a, b, a * b); // 60
    printf("Division: %d / %d = %d\n", a, b, a / b);       // 3
    printf("Modulus: %d %% %d = %d\n", a, b, a % b);       // 3
    
    return 0;
}

🔹 Relational Operators

Relational operators compare two values and return either true (1) or false (0) based on the comparison result. C provides six relational operators: equal to (==), not equal to (!=), greater than (>), less than (<), greater than or equal to (>=), and less than or equal to (<=). For example, if (age >= 18) checks if someone is an adult, returning 1 for true or 0 for false. These operators are fundamental in conditional statements, loop conditions, and decision-making logic throughout C programs, enabling comparisons between integers, floating-point numbers, and character values.

#include 

int main() {
    int x = 10, y = 20;
    
    printf("%d == %d is %d\n", x, y, x == y);  // 0 (false)
    printf("%d != %d is %d\n", x, y, x != y);  // 1 (true)
    printf("%d < %d is %d\n", x, y, x < y);    // 1 (true)
    printf("%d > %d is %d\n", x, y, x > y);    // 0 (false)
    printf("%d <= %d is %d\n", x, y, x <= y);  // 1 (true)
    printf("%d >= %d is %d\n", x, y, x >= y);  // 0 (false)
    
    return 0;
}

🔹 Logical Operators

Logical operators combine multiple conditions to create complex boolean expressions in C programming. The three logical operators are AND (&&), OR (||), and NOT (!). The AND operator returns true only when both conditions are true, OR returns true when at least one condition is true, and NOT inverts the boolean value. For example, if (age >= 18 && hasLicense == 1) checks if someone can drive by verifying both conditions simultaneously. These operators support short-circuit evaluation, meaning && stops evaluating if the first condition is false, optimizing performance in conditional statements and complex decision-making scenarios.

#include 

int main() {
    int a = 5, b = 10, c = 15;
    
    // AND operator (&&)
    if (a < b && b < c) {
        printf("Both conditions are true\n");
    }
    
    // OR operator (||)
    if (a > 20 || b < 15) {
        printf("At least one condition is true\n");
    }
    
    // NOT operator (!)
    if (!(a > b)) {
        printf("a is NOT greater than b\n");
    }
    
    return 0;
}

🔹 Assignment Operators

Assignment operators in C assign values to variables and provide shorthand notation for common operations. The basic assignment operator (=) stores a value in a variable, while compound assignment operators like +=, -=, *=, /=, and %= combine arithmetic operations with assignment. For instance, x += 5; is equivalent to x = x + 5; but more concise and readable. These operators reduce code verbosity and make modifications clearer. Using compound operators also helps compilers optimize code execution, making them valuable in loops, counters, and accumulator patterns throughout C programming applications.

#include 

int main() {
    int num = 10;
    
    printf("Initial value: %d\n", num);
    
    num += 5;  // Same as: num = num + 5
    printf("After += 5: %d\n", num);
    
    num -= 3;  // Same as: num = num - 3
    printf("After -= 3: %d\n", num);
    
    num *= 2;  // Same as: num = num * 2
    printf("After *= 2: %d\n", num);
    
    num /= 4;  // Same as: num = num / 4
    printf("After /= 4: %d\n", num);
    
    return 0;
}