Performing Actions on Data

Operators are special symbols used to perform operations on operands (values and variables).

1. Arithmetic Operators

Used for mathematical calculations.

+ (Addition)
- (Subtraction)
* (Multiplication)
/ (Division)
% (Modulus/Remainder): e.g., 10 % 3 is 1
** (Exponentiation): e.g., 2 ** 3 is 8

2. Assignment Operators

Used to assign values to variables.

= (Assign)
+= (Add and assign): x += 5 is shorthand for x = x + 5
-=, *=, /= work similarly.

3. Comparison Operators

Used to compare two values, returning a Boolean (true or false).

== (Equal to - checks value only)
=== (Strict Equal to - checks value AND data type. Always use this!)
!= (Not equal)
!== (Strict not equal)
>, <, >=, <= (Greater than, Less than, etc.)

4. Logical Operators

Used to combine multiple conditions.

&& (Logical AND): Returns true if BOTH sides are true.
|| (Logical OR): Returns true if AT LEAST ONE side is true.
! (Logical NOT): Reverses the boolean value (true becomes false).

Mastering operators allows you to write complex logic, which we will use heavily in the next chapter on Conditional Statements!

💡 Himanshu's Tip:

Never, ever use == in your code. Always use ===. The double equals sign tries to be 'smart' and convert types behind your back, which leads to horrible, hard-to-find bugs. Strict equality (===) is the professional standard.

Interview Questions

What is the difference between == and ===?
What does the modulo operator (%) do?
How does the Logical AND (&&) operator work?