What is the difference between | and ||?

| is bitwise OR (operates on each bit). || is logical OR (short-circuit boolean). Use | for bit manipulation, || for boolean conditions. In C: 5 | 3 = 7, 5 || 3 = 1 (true).

How do I combine multiple flags?

OR them together: flags = READ | WRITE | EXECUTE. This creates a bitmask with all specified bits set. Works because OR accumulates 1s from all inputs.

Why use bit flags instead of booleans?

Efficiency: 8 flags fit in 1 byte vs 8 bytes for 8 booleans. Easy to combine, store, and transmit. Common in file permissions, network protocols, hardware registers.

OR Calculator

Guide & TutorialOffline

Calculate bitwise OR operation between two numbers

Calculate bitwise OR operations between two numbers instantly with our free online OR calculator. This tool helps programmers, students, and computer science professionals perform binary OR operations with visual bit-by-bit explanations. Simply enter two numbers and see the OR result in decimal, binary, and hexadecimal formats in real-time.

First Number

Binary: 00000000

Second Number

Binary: 00000000

Result (OR)

Binary: 00000000

Hex: 0x0

OR Operation

Number 1:00000000(0)

Number 2:00000000(0)

OR Result:00000000(0)

OR returns 1 when at least one bit is 1, returns 0 only when both are 0.

About OR Calculator

Bitwise OR calculator performs logical OR operation on binary numbers. Each bit pair is compared: 0 OR 0 = 0, all other combinations = 1. Essential for setting flags, combining bitmasks, and building permission sets.

How It Works

Input two numbers. Calculator converts to binary, aligns bits, and performs OR on each position. A result bit is 1 if EITHER or BOTH corresponding input bits are 1. Only 0 OR 0 produces 0.

Technical Details

OR truth table: 0|0=0, 0|1=1, 1|0=1, 1|1=1. In programming: | operator. Used to: set bits, combine flags, create bitmasks. Result is at least as large as the larger input.

Common Use Cases

Setting Flags

Turn on specific bits without affecting others.

flags | FLAG_ACTIVE sets the active bit

Combining Permissions

Merge multiple permission sets into one.

Building Bitmasks

Combine individual bit flags into a mask.

READ | WRITE | EXECUTE

Default Values

Provide defaults: value | default when value might be 0.

Code Examples

Bitwise OR Operations

javascript

// Basic OR
console.log(12 | 10);  // 14
// 1100 (12)
// 1010 (10)
// ----
// 1110 (14)

// Set a specific bit
const setBit = (n, pos) => n | (1 << pos);
setBit(0b1000, 1);  // 0b1010 (set bit 1)

// Combine flags
const READ = 0b001;
const WRITE = 0b010;
const EXECUTE = 0b100;
const permissions = READ | WRITE | EXECUTE;  // 0b111 (7)

// Set flag if condition
function setFlag(flags, flag, condition) {
  return condition ? flags | flag : flags;
}

OR outputs 1 if either input is 1. Use to set bits, combine flags, build masks.

Tips & Best Practices

OR with 1 sets bits, OR with 0 preserves
Use for combining flags and permissions
| is bitwise, || is logical
Result is at least as large as inputs
Combine with AND for read-modify-write

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing | (bitwise) with || (logical)
Using OR when AND is needed
Not understanding flag combination
Operator precedence issues

When to Use This Tool

Use bitwise OR to set specific bits, combine permission flags, build bitmasks, and any operation requiring selective bit setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

OR with a mask having that bit set: value | (1 << n) sets bit n. Example: flags | 0x04 sets bit 2 regardless of its previous value.

// Basic OR console.log(12 | 10); // 14 // 1100 (12) // 1010 (10) // ---- // 1110 (14) // Set a specific bit const setBit = (n, pos) => n | (1 << pos); setBit(0b1000, 1); // 0b1010 (set bit 1) // Combine flags const READ = 0b001; const WRITE = 0b010; const EXECUTE = 0b100; const permissions = READ | WRITE | EXECUTE; // 0b111 (7) // Set flag if condition function setFlag(flags, flag, condition) { return condition ? flags | flag : flags; }