XOR in Python | Explained With Examples

The XOR operator can be used in many ways in Python, such as to perform XOR operations on lists, to get the logical XOR of two variables, and more. In Python, XOR is a bitwise operator that performs a binary operation between two values. The “XOR” operator returns “1” if the bits are different and “0” if they are the same. For example, 5 XOR 3 is 6 because 0101 XOR 0011 is 0110.

In this post, we will explore the XOR Python operator using the below content:

  • How to Use the XOR in Python?
    • Finding XOR Value of Integers
    • Using xor() Function to Perform XOR Operation
    • Finding XOR Value of Boolean
    • Using XOR For Checking Equality of Two Number
    • Swapping Integers Using XOR

How to Use the XOR in Python?

The ^ symbol is used to perform the “XOR ” operation in Python. For example, x = 5 ^ 3 will assign x to 6. The “xor()” function of the operator module can find the XOR value of given numbers. Let’s understand this by performing various examples:

Example 1: Finding XOR Value of Integers

The below code uses the XOR operators to calculate the value of the integers:

Code:

num1 = 15
num2 = 32
print("XOR Value is: ", num1 ^ num2)
  • The int “num1” and “num2” are initialized at the start.
  • The “XOR” operator returns the XOR value of the two operands.

Output:

The XOR value has been returned successfully.

Example 2: Using xor() Function to Perform XOR Operation

The “xor()” function of the “operator” module is also used to find the XOR value of the given numbers. Let’s understand it by the following examples:

Code:

import operator
num1 = 15
num2 = 5
output = operator.xor(num1, num2)
print("XOR Value of Given Numbers is: ", output)
  • The “operator” module is imported.
  • The integers “num1” and “num2” are initialized.
  • The “operator.xor()” takes the input integer numbers as an argument and returns the XOR operation value.

Output:

The XOR value of given numbers has been returned.

Example 3: Finding XOR Value of Boolean

The below code is used to find the XOR value of the given boolean:

Code:

num1 = True
num2 = False
print("XOR Value is: ", num1 ^ num2)
print("XOR Value is: ", num1 ^ num1)
print("XOR Value is: ", num2 ^ num2)
  • The boolean “True” and “False” is assigned to a variable “num1” and “num2”.
  • The “XOR” operator “^” is used to return “True” if the two operands carry different values and return “False” if the two operands are different.

Output:

The boolean values have been returned by the XOR operator.

Example 4: Using XOR For Checking Equality of Two Numbers

The following code is used to check the equality of two numbers using the XOR operator:

Code:

def isEqualNumbers(num1, num2):
    xor_result = num1 ^ num2
    if xor_result == 0:
        return True
    else:
        return False

print(isEqualNumbers(15, 15))
  • The function named “isEqualNumbers” is defined in the program.
  • If the return value of the “XOR” operator is “0,” then the given numbers are equal otherwise unequal.

Output:

The given numbers are equal.

Example 5: Swapping Integers Using XOR

The following code is used to swap the given integers using the XOR operator:

Code:

num1 = 15
num2 = 25
num1 = num1^num2
num2 = num1^num2
print("num1 Value after swap: ", num1)
print("num2 Value after swap: ", num2)
  • The integers are assigned to the variables “num1” and “num2”.
  • The bitwise XOR operator ^ is used to swap the values of num1 and num2. 
  • The same XOR operator is used to swap the values of num1 and num2 again. 

Output:

The int values have been displayed after the swap.

Conclusion

In Python, a bitwise “XOR operator ^” and the “operator.xor()” function is used to perform a binary operation between two values. The “XOR” operator is used to find the “XOR” value of integers, find the XOR value of two booleans, check the equality of two numbers, and swap the integers. This guide presented an in-depth guide on XOR in Python using numerous examples.