C# Operators

Operators in C# are symbols that perform specific operations on one or more operands. They are essential for manipulating data and controlling program flow. This guide will introduce you to the various types of operators in C# and their usage.

Types of Operators

C# provides several categories of operators:

• Arithmetic Operators
• Comparison Operators
• Logical Operators
• Assignment Operators
• Bitwise Operators
• Conditional Operator

Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators perform mathematical calculations on numeric operands.

Operator	Description	Example
+	Addition	int sum = 5 + 3; // 8
-	Subtraction	int difference = 10 - 4; // 6
*	Multiplication	int product = 3 * 4; // 12
/	Division	int quotient = 15 / 3; // 5
%	Modulus (remainder)	int remainder = 17 % 5; // 2

Comparison Operators

Comparison operators compare two values and return a boolean result.

Operator	Description	Example
==	Equal to	bool isEqual = (5 == 5); // true
!=	Not equal to	bool isNotEqual = (5 != 3); // true
>	Greater than	bool isGreater = (7 > 3); // true
<	Less than	bool isLess = (2 < 5); // true
>=	Greater than or equal to	bool isGreaterOrEqual = (5 >= 5); // true
<=	Less than or equal to	bool isLessOrEqual = (3 <= 4); // true

Logical Operators

Logical operators perform boolean operations on operands.

Operator	Description	Example
&&	Logical AND	bool result = (true && false); // false
||	Logical OR	bool result = (true || false); // true
!	Logical NOT	bool result = !true; // false

Assignment Operators

Assignment operators assign values to variables.

Operator	Description	Example
=	Simple assignment	int x = 5;
+=	Add and assign	x += 3; // Equivalent to x = x + 3;
-=	Subtract and assign	x -= 2; // Equivalent to x = x - 2;
*=	Multiply and assign	x *= 4; // Equivalent to x = x * 4;
/=	Divide and assign	x /= 2; // Equivalent to x = x / 2;

Conditional Operator

The conditional operator (?:) is a ternary operator that evaluates a boolean expression and returns one of two values based on the result.

int age = 20;
string status = (age >= 18) ? "Adult" : "Minor";
// status will be "Adult"

Operator Precedence

Operators in C# follow a specific order of precedence. When multiple operators appear in an expression, the operators with higher precedence are evaluated first.

It's important to use parentheses to explicitly define the order of operations in complex expressions, improving code readability and avoiding potential errors.

Best Practices

• Use parentheses to clarify the order of operations in complex expressions.
• Be cautious when using the division operator (/) with integer operands, as it performs integer division.
• Avoid using the assignment operator (=) in conditional statements, as it can lead to unintended behavior.
• Use the null-conditional operator (?.) and null-coalescing operator (??) when working with nullable types to prevent null reference exceptions.

Related Concepts

To deepen your understanding of C# operators and their usage, explore these related topics:

• C# Data Types
• C# Type Conversion
• C# If-Else Statements
• C# Switch Statements

By mastering C# operators, you'll be able to write more efficient and expressive code, manipulate data effectively, and control program flow with precision.