Introduction to JavaScript Operators

JavaScript operators are symbols or keywords used to perform operations on values or variables. They help manipulate data, compare values and control the logic of your code. Operators are a core part of JavaScript, enabling developers to build functional and dynamic applications.

Types of JavaScript Operators

JavaScript provides several types of operators, including:

1. Arithmetic Operators
2. Assignment Operators
3. Comparison Operators
4. Logical Operators
5. Bitwise Operators
6. String Operators
7. Conditional (Ternary) Operators
8. Type Operators

1. Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators perform mathematical calculations.

Operator	Description	Example	Output
+	Addition	5 + 3	8
–	Subtraction	10 – 4	6
*	Multiplication	7 * 2	14
/	Division	20 / 5	4
%	Modulus (Remainder)	9 % 2	1
**	Exponentiation	3 ** 2	9

Example:

let a = 10;
let b = 3;
console.log(a + b); // Output: 13
console.log(a % b); // Output: 1

2. Assignment Operators

Assignment operators assign values to variables.

Operator	Description	Example	Equivalent To
=	Assign	x = 5	x = 5
+=	Add and Assign	x += 2	x = x + 2
-=	Subtract and Assign	x -= 3	x = x – 3
*=	Multiply and Assign	x *= 4	x = x * 4
/=	Divide and Assign	x /= 5	x = x / 5
%=	Modulus and Assign	x %= 6	x = x % 6

Example:

let x = 10;
x += 5; // Same as x = x + 5
console.log(x); // Output: 15

3. Comparison Operators

Comparison operators compare two values and return a Boolean (true or false).

Operator	Description	Example	Output
==	Equal to	5 == “5”	true
===	Strict equal to	5 === “5”	false
!=	Not equal to	5 != “5”	false
!==	Strict not equal to	5 !== “5”	true
>	Greater than	10 > 5	true
<	Less than	3 < 7	true
>=	Greater than or equal to	8 >= 8	true
<=	Less than or equal to	9 <= 6	false

Example:

let age = 18;
console.log(age >= 18); // Output: true

4. Logical Operators

Logical operators perform logical operations and are often used with Boolean values.

Operator	Description	Example	Output
&&	Logical AND	true && false	false
`		`	Logical OR
!	Logical NOT	!true	false

Example:

let hasLicense = true;
let hasCar = false;
console.log(hasLicense && hasCar); // Output: false

5. Bitwise Operators

Bitwise operators perform operations on binary representations of numbers.

Operator	Description	Example	Output
&	AND	5 & 1	1
`	`	OR	`5
^	XOR	5 ^ 1	4
~	NOT	~5	-6
<<	Left shift	5 << 1	10
>>	Right shift	5 >> 1	2

6. String Operators

String operators are used to manipulate text.

Operator	Description	Example	Output
+	Concatenation	“Hello ” + “World”	“Hello World”
+=	Append	greeting += “World”	“Hello World”

Example:

let text = "JavaScript ";
text += "is awesome!";
console.log(text); // Output: JavaScript is awesome!

7. Conditional (Ternary) Operator

The ternary operator simplifies conditional statements into a single line.

condition ? expressionIfTrue : expressionIfFalse;

Example:

let age = 18;
let status = age >= 18 ? "Adult" : "Minor";
console.log(status); // Output: Adult

8. Type Operators

Type operators are used to check or manipulate data types.

Operator	Description	Example	Output
typeof	Returns the data type	typeof “Hello”	“string”
instanceof	Checks object instance	[] instanceof Array	true