Java Operators: Complete Practical Guide with Precedence Table

An operator is a specialized symbol that instructs the compiler to execute specific mathematical, relational, or logical manipulations on one, two, or three operands.

Categories of Java Operators

1. Arithmetic Operators

Used to perform fundamental arithmetic operations:

2. Relational / Comparison Operators

Compare two operands and always yield a boolean result (true or false):

• == (Equal to): 10 == 10 → true
• != (Not equal to): 10 != 5 → true
• > and >= (Greater than / or equal): 15 >= 15 → true
• < and <= (Less than / or equal): 8 <= 12 → true

3. Logical Operators & Short-Circuit Evaluation

Used to combine multiple boolean conditions:

int age = 22;
boolean hasLicense = true;

// Short-Circuit AND (&&): Both must be true
if (age >= 18 && hasLicense) {
    System.out.println("Eligible to Drive!");
}

// Short-Circuit OR (||): At least one must be true
boolean hasPassport = false;
boolean hasVoterId = true;
if (hasPassport || hasVoterId) {
    System.out.println("Identity Verified!");
}

// Logical NOT (!): Inverts boolean state
boolean isBlocked = false;
if (!isBlocked) {
    System.out.println("Access Granted!");
}

4. Ternary Operator (Conditional Operator)

A concise one-line alternative to simple if-else statements:

int marks = 78;
// Syntax: condition ? value_if_true : value_if_false
String result = (marks >= 40) ? "PASS" : "FAIL";
System.out.println("Student Status: " + result); // Output: PASS

Java Operator Precedence & Associativity Table

When an expression contains multiple operators, precedence determines evaluation order:

int a = 5;
int b = a++ + ++a * 2;
System.out.println("a=" + a + ", b=" + b);