Bitwise Shift Calculator (Left/Right Shift)

Bitwise Shift Calculator

Perform left shift, arithmetic right shift, and logical right shift operations on integers with instant binary visualization. Enter a number in decimal, binary, hex, or octal, choose your shift amount, and see exactly how every bit moves — including carry and overflow.

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Enter your number in any supported format (decimal, binary with 0b prefix, hex with 0x prefix, or octal with 0o prefix). Select the bit width (8, 16, 32, or 64-bit), choose the shift operation type, set the shift amount, and the result updates in real time. The binary visualization highlights exactly which bits shifted and where overflow or sign extension occurred.

Caractéristiques

• Three shift operations – Left shift (<<), arithmetic right shift (>>), and logical right shift (>>>) with clear visual differences
• Multiple input formats – Enter numbers in decimal, binary (0b), hexadecimal (0x), or octal (0o)
• Configurable bit width – Support for 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit integers
• Binary visualization – See before and after binary representations with highlighted shifted bits
• Overflow detection – Shows carry and overflow bits that shift beyond the bit width boundary
• Real-time calculation – Results update instantly as you type or adjust the shift amount
• Power of 2 explanation – Displays the equivalent multiplication or division operation for each shift

Understanding Bitwise Shift Operations

Bitwise shifts move all bits in a binary number left or right by a specified number of positions. Left shifting by n positions is equivalent to multiplying by 2^n, making it one of the fastest multiplication operations in computing. Right shifting divides by powers of 2, but the behavior differs between arithmetic shifts (which preserve the sign bit) and logical shifts (which fill with zeros).

These operations are fundamental in low-level programming, embedded systems, graphics programming, and cryptography. Understanding how bits move helps developers write faster code and debug binary-level issues more effectively.