Data Types and Operators
(Non-Primitive Data Types)
Control Flow Statements
Conditional Statements
Looping Statements
Branching Statements
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
Exception Handling
Collections Framework
Overview of Collections
Java I/O
Multithreading
GUI Programming with Swing
Advanced Topics
JAVA CODE
Java Basics
Working with Objects
Arrays, Conditionals, and Loops
Creating Classes and Applications in Java
More About Methods
Java Applet Basics
Graphics, Fonts, and Color
Simple Animation and Threads
More Animation, Images, and Sound
Managing Simple Events and Interactivity
Creating User Interfaces with the awt
Windows, Networking, and Other Tidbits
Modifiers, Access Control, and Class Design
Packages and Interfaces
Exceptions
Multithreading
Streams and I/O
Using Native Methods and Libraries
Under the Hood
Java Programming Tools
Working with Data Structures in Java
Advanced Animation and Media
Fun with Image Filters
Client/Server Networking in Java
Emerging Technologies
appendix A :- Language Summary
appendix B :- Class Hierarchy Diagrams
appendix C The Java Class Library
appendix D Bytecodes Reference
appendix E java.applet Package Reference
appendix F java.awt Package Reference
appendix G java.awt.image Package Reference
appendix H java.awt.peer Package Reference
appendix I java.io Package Reference
appendix J java.lang Package Reference
appendix K java.net Package Reference
appendix L java.util Package Reference

In Java, logical operators are used to perform logical operations on boolean expressions. They are fundamental in controlling the flow of execution in programs through conditional statements like ‘if‘, ‘while‘, and ‘for‘ loops. Java provides several logical operators, each serving a specific purpose. Let’s dive into the details of each logical operator:

1. Logical AND (&&)

The logical AND operator is a binary operator that returns ‘true‘ only if both operands are ‘true‘. It is commonly used in conditional statements to ensure that multiple conditions are met.

Syntax:

				
					boolean result = expression1 && expression2;

				
			

Example:

				
					boolean a = true;
boolean b = false;
boolean c = true;
boolean result = a && b; // result is false because b is false
boolean result2 = a && c; // result2 is true because both a and c are true

				
			

2. Logical OR (||)

The logical OR operator is also a binary operator that returns ‘true‘ if at least one of the operands is ‘true‘. It is used when any one of multiple conditions being true is acceptable

Syntax:

				
					boolean result = expression1 || expression2;

				
			

Example:

				
					boolean a = true;
boolean b = false;
boolean result = a || b; // result is true because a is true
boolean result2 = b || false; // result2 is false because both b and the other operand are false

				
			

3. Logical NOT (!)

The logical NOT operator is a unary operator that returns the opposite of the boolean value it operates on. If the operand is ‘true‘, it returns ‘false‘, and vice versa.

Syntax:

				
					boolean result = !expression;

				
			

Example:

				
					boolean a = true;
boolean result = !a; // result is false because a is true
boolean b = false;
boolean result2 = !b; // result2 is true because b is false

				
			

4. Logical XOR (^)

The logical XOR (exclusive OR) operator returns ‘true‘ if exactly one of the operands is ‘true‘, but not both. It is less commonly used compared to AND and OR.

Syntax:

				
					boolean result = expression1 ^ expression2;

				
			

Example:

				
					boolean a = true;
boolean b = false;
boolean result = a ^ b; // result is true because one operand is true and the other is false
boolean result2 = a ^ true; // result2 is false because both operands are true

				
			

Short-Circuiting in Logical Operators

Short-Circuit AND (&&)

The ‘&&‘ operator is a short-circuit operator. This means that if the first operand evaluates to ‘false‘, the second operand is not evaluated because the result will definitely be ‘false‘.

Example:

				
					boolean a = false;
boolean b = true;
boolean result = a && b; // result is false, b is not evaluated

				
			

Short-Circuit OR (||)

The ‘||‘ operator is also a short-circuit operator. If the first operand evaluates to true, the second operand is not evaluated because the result will definitely be true.

Example:

				
					boolean a = true;
boolean b = false;
boolean result = a || b; // result is true, b is not evaluated

				
			

Truth Tables

Understanding the behavior of logical operators can be further simplified with truth tables.

AND (&&)

ABA && B
truetruetrue
truefalsefalse
falsetruefalse
falsefalsefalse

OR (||)

| A | B | A || B |
|——-|——-|——–|
| true | true | true |
| true | false | true |
| false | true | true |
| false | false | false |

NOT (!)

A!A
truefalse
falsetrue

XOR (^)

ABA ^ B
truetruefalse
truefalsetrue
falsetruetrue
falsefalsefalse

Combining Logical Operators

Logical operators can be combined to form complex conditions.

Example:

				
					boolean a = true;
boolean b = false;
boolean c = true;
boolean result = (a && b) || (c && !b); // result is true

				
			

In this example, ‘(a && b)‘ evaluates to ‘false‘, and ‘(c && !b)‘ evaluates to true. Therefore, ‘false || true‘ results in ‘true‘.

Practical Use Cases

Logical operators are widely used in control flow statements.

Example in an if statement:

				
					int age = 25;
boolean hasLicense = true;

if (age >= 18 && hasLicense) {
    System.out.println("You can drive.");
} else {
    System.out.println("You cannot drive.");
}

				
			

Example in a while loop:

				
					int counter = 0;

while (counter < 10 && counter != 5) {
    System.out.println("Counter: " + counter);
    counter++;
}

				
			

In this example, the loop will continue until ‘counter‘ is less than 10 and not equal to 5.

Understanding these logical operators and how they work is crucial for making effective decisions in your Java programs. They allow you to create complex logical conditions and control the flow of your program precisely.

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