What is the difference between the >> and >>> operators?

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The >> operator carries the sign bit when shifting right. The >>> zero-fills bits that have been shifted out.

In Java, the >> and >>> operators are both right shift operators, but they differ in how they handle the sign bit (the leftmost bit) when shifting.

  1. >> (Signed Right Shift):
    • It shifts the bits to the right.
    • It fills the vacant leftmost bits with the sign bit (the leftmost bit) to preserve the sign of the number.
    • If the original number is positive, it fills with 0; if negative, it fills with 1.

    Example:

    java
    int num = -8;
    int result = num >> 1; // result is -4
  2. >>> (Unsigned Right Shift):
    • It also shifts the bits to the right.
    • It fills the vacant leftmost bits with zero, irrespective of the sign bit.
    • It effectively treats the number as if it were positive.

    Example:

    java
    int num = -8;
    int result = num >>> 1; // result is 2147483644 (because it's treated as if it were a positive number)

In summary, >> preserves the sign bit during the right shift, while >>> fills the leftmost bits with zero, treating the number as non-negative.