What Are Java Operators?

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In Java, operators are special symbols or keywords that perform specific operations like mathematical calculations, logical comparisons, data manipulation, or controlling the flow of the program. It tells the compiler to perform specific actions on one or more values, known as operands.

Operators are a tool that work with data to generate a result. For example:

  • + operator adds two numbers
  • == operator checks if two values are equal or not.
  • The && operator verifies if multiple conditions are true or not.

Operators are an essential part of Java expressions because, without operators, writing efficient and meaningful programs would be impossible.

See this simple example:

int a = 10;
int b = 5;
int sum = a + b;  // '+' is the addition operator
boolean isEqual = (a == b); // '==' is the equality operator

In this code:

  • The + operator adds the a and b values and stores the result in sum.
  • The == operator compares whether a and b have the same value and then returns true or false.

Types of Java Operators

Here are the multiple operators available in Java, such as:

  1. Arithmetic Operators
  2. Assignment Operators
  3. Relational (Comparison) Operators
  4. Logical Operators
  5. Bitwise Operators
  6. Unary Operators
  7. Ternary Operator
  8. Shift Operators

Let’s explore each operator in detail with examples.

1. Arithmetic Operators

These operators are useful for basic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. See the following table:

OperatorDescriptionExample
+Additiona + b
–Subtractiona – b
*Multiplicationa * b
/Divisiona / b
%Modulus (Remainder)a % b

1) Example Code:

public class ArithmeticExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int a = 20, b = 3;
        System.out.println("Addition: " + (a + b));
        System.out.println("Subtraction: " + (a - b));
        System.out.println("Multiplication: " + (a * b));
        System.out.println("Division: " + (a / b));
        System.out.println("Modulus: " + (a % b));
    }
}

Output:

Addition: 23
Subtraction: 17
Multiplication: 60
Division: 6
Modulus: 2
  • You can see, we have calculated all the arithmetic operations.

2) Java Arithmetic Operators Example: Apples and Friends

public class ArithmeticExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int apples = 15, friends = 4;
        System.out.println("Total Apples: " + apples);
        System.out.println("Apples per friend: " + (apples / friends));
        System.out.println("Leftover apples: " + (apples % friends));
    }
}

Program Output

Total Apples: 15
Apples per friend: 3
Leftover apples: 3
  • This example shows you how arithmetic operators work on division ( / ) and modulus ( % ).

2. Assignment Operators

This operator is used to assign values to a variable. It can also be combined with arithmetic operations. Below, we describe all the assignment symbols:

OperatorDescriptionExample
=Assigns a valuea = b
+=Adds and assignsa += b
-=Subtracts and assignsa -= b
*=Multiplies and assignsa *= b
/=Divides and assignsa /= b
%=Calculates remainder and assignsa %= b

Example Code:

public class AssignmentExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int score = 10;
        score += 5; // score = score + 5
        System.out.println("Updated Score: " + score);
    }
}

The output will be:

Updated Score: 15

3. Relational (Comparison) Operators

These operators give only two results. Relational operators compare two values for equality and return a Boolean result (true or false).

OperatorDescriptionExample
==Equal toa == b
!=Not equal toa != b
>Greater thana > b
<Less thana < b
>=Greater than or equal toa >= b
<=Less than or equal toa <= b

See this example:

public class RelationalExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int age = 18;
        System.out.println("Is adult? " + (age >= 18));
    }
}

Output:

Updated Score: 15

4. Logical Operators

Logical operators are useful to combine multiple conditions. Below we describe the symbols:

OperatorDescriptionExample
&&Logical AND(a > b) && (b < c)
``
!Logical NOT!(a > b)

Example Code:

public class LogicalExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        boolean hasID = true;
        boolean hasTicket = false;
        System.out.println("Can enter? " + (hasID && hasTicket));
    }
}

Output of this program:

Can enter? false
  • This program checks whether two values are true or false and then prints the results.

5. Bitwise Operators

Bitwise operators perform operations at the binary level. See the binary symbols in the following table:

OperatorDescriptionExample
&Bitwise ANDa & b
``Bitwise OR
^Bitwise XORa ^ b
~Bitwise Complement~a

Example Code:

public class BitwiseExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int x = 6; // binary: 110
        int y = 3; // binary: 011
        System.out.println("Bitwise AND: " + (x & y)); // 010 -> 2
    }
}

Output of this program:

Bitwise AND: 2

6. Unary Operators

Unary operators perform on a single value

OperatorDescriptionExample
+Positive+a
–Negative-a
++Increment++a
—Decrement–a
!Logical Complement!a

Example Code:

public class UnaryExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int count = 5;
        System.out.println("Before: " + count);
        count++;
        System.out.println("After Increment: " + count);
    }
}

Output:

Before: 5
After Increment: 6
  • See this code, ++ adds 1 to a number. First it displays the original value, then the increased value.

7. Ternary Operator

The ternary operator is a shorthand for if-else statements.

Syntax of the ternary operator:

condition ? value_if_true : value_if_false;

Example Code:

public class TernaryExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int marks = 75;
        String result = (marks >= 50) ? "Pass" : "Fail";
        System.out.println("Result: " + result);
    }
}

8. Shift Operators

Shift operators in Java move the binary bits of a number to the left or right. They’re used for fast multiplication, division, or bit manipulation.

OperatorDescriptionExample
<<Left Shifta << 2
>>Right Shifta >> 2
>>>Unsigned Right Shifta >>> 2

Example Code:

public class ShiftExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int num = 4; // binary: 100
        System.out.println("Left Shift by 1: " + (num << 1)); // 1000 -> 8
    }
}

The output will be:

Left Shift by 1: 8

In this code:

  • num = 4 → binary 100
  • num << 1 shifts all bits one position to the left, adding a 0 on the right: 100 → 1000
  • 1000 (binary) = 8 (decimal).

Learn Further Topics:

Real-Life Project

“Coffee Shop Bill Calculator”

Idea

A coffee shop wants a simple program to:

  • Take the quantity of coffee and snacks
  • Use arithmetic operators to calculate total
  • Use assignment operators to apply a discount
  • Use comparison operators to check if the bill crosses a certain amount for a gift
  • Use logical operators to decide on offers

Program Code:

import java.util.Scanner;

public class CoffeeShopBill {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in);

        // Prices
        int coffeePrice = 50; // per cup
        int snackPrice = 30;  // per item

        // Input from user
        System.out.print("Enter cups of coffee: ");
        int coffeeQty = sc.nextInt();

        System.out.print("Enter number of snacks: ");
        int snackQty = sc.nextInt();

        // Arithmetic operators (+, *)
        int total = (coffeeQty * coffeePrice) + (snackQty * snackPrice);

        // Assignment operator (+=)
        total += 10; // adding packing charge

        // Comparison operator (>)
        if (total > 200) {
            System.out.println("Congrats! You get a free cookie");
        }

        // Logical operators (&&, ||)
        if (coffeeQty >= 2 && snackQty >= 1) {
            System.out.println("Special Offer: 10% discount applied!");
            total -= total * 10 / 100; // 10% discount
        } else if (coffeeQty >= 3 || snackQty >= 3) {
            System.out.println("Small Combo Offer: ₹15 off");
            total -= 15;
        }

        // Output final bill
        System.out.println("Final Bill: ₹" + total);
    }
}

Try to understand this code by yourself, and write the same code in your logic without taking help.

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