Operators

In this chapter we will introduce the operators provided by the Ring programming language.

Arithmetic Operators

The next table presents all of the arithmetic operators provided by the Ring language. Assume variable X=50 and variable Y=10 then:

Operator	Description	Example	Result
+	Add	x+y	60
-	Subtract	x-y	40
*	Multiplies	x*y	500
/	Divide	x/y	5
%	Modulus	x%y	0
++	Increment	x++	51
- -	Decrement	x- -	49
** OR ^^	Power	x**3	125000

Relational Operators

The next table presents all of the relational operators provided by the Ring language. Assume variable X=50 and variable Y=10 then:

Operator	Description	Example	Result
=	Equal	x = y	False
!=	Not Equal	x != y	True
>	Greater than	x > y	True
<	Less than	x < y	False
>=	Greater or Equal	x >= y	True
<=	Less than or Equal	x <= y	False

Logical Operators

The next table presents all of the logical operators provided by the Ring language. Assume variable X=True and variable Y=False then:

Operator	Description	Example	Result
and	Logical AND	x and y	False
or	Logical OR	x or y	True
not	Logical Not	not x	False

Another style

Operator	Description	Example	Result
&&	Logical AND	x && y	False
||	Logical OR	x || y	True
!	Logical Not	! x	False

Bitwise Operators

The next table presents all of the bitwise operators provided by the Ring language. Assume variable X=8 and variable Y=2 then:

Operator	Description	Example	Result
&	Binary AND	x & y	0
|	Binary OR	x | y	10
^	Binary XOR	x ^ y	10
~	Binary Ones Complement	~x	-9
<<	Binary Left Shift	x << y	32
>>	Binary Right Shift	x >> y	2

Assignment Operators

The next table presents all of the assignment operators provided by the Ring language.

Assume variable X=8 then:

Operator	Description	Example	Result
=	Assignment	x = 10	x=10
+=	Add AND assignment	x += 5	x=13
-=	Subtract AND assignment	x -= 3	x=5
*=	Multiply AND assignment	x *= 2	x=16
/=	Divide AND assignment	x /= 3	x=2.67
%=	Modulus AND assignment	x %= 2	x=0
<<=	Left shift AND assignment	x <<= 2	x=32
>>=	Right shift AND assignment	x >>= 2	x=2
&=	Bitwise AND assignment	x &= 4	x=0
|=	Bitwise OR and assignment	x |= 3	x=11
^=	Bitwise XOR and assignment	x ^= 4	x=12

Misc Operators

Operator	Description
:literal	using : before identifier mean literal
Start:End	create list contains items from start to end
[list items]	define list items
list[index]	access list item
obj.name	using the dot operator to access object members (attributes/methods).
obj {stmts}	execute statements with direct access to object attributes & methods
func(para,…)	call function using parameters separated by comma
? <expr>	Print expression then new line

Operators Precedence

The next table present operators from higher precedence (Evaluated first) to lower precedence.

Operator
. [] () {}
~ :Literal [list items]
++ - -
- (Unary minus)
Start:End
* / %
+ -
<< >>
&
| ^
< > <= >=
= !=
not !
and or && ||
Assignment = += -= *= /= %=>>= <<= &= ^= |=
?

Example (1):

See 3+5*4       # prints 23

Mixing Arithmetic Operators and Types

The next table demonstrates what happens when mixing arithmetic operators and different types

First Type	Operator	Second Type	Output Type OR Behavior	Example
Number	“+”	Number	Number	5+5
Number	“+”	String	Number	5+”5”
String	“+”	Number	String	“5”+5
String	“+”	String	String	“5”+”5”
List	“+”	Number	Add number to List	[1,2,3] + 4
List	“+”	String	Add string to List	[1,2,3] + “four”
List	“+”	List	Add list to List	[1,2,3] + [“sub”]
List	“+”	Object	Add object to List	[1,2,3] + new Point
Number	“+”	List	Runtime Error	4 + [1,2,3]
Number	“+”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	4 + new point
String	“+”	List	Runtime Error	“4” + [1,2,3]
String	“+”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	“4” + new point
Object	“+”	Number	Check Operator Overloading	new point + 1
Object	“+”	String	Check Operator Overloading	new point + “test”
Object	“+”	List	Check Operator Overloading	new point + [10,10]
Object	“+”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	new point + new point
Number	“-”	Number	Number	5-5
Number	“-”	String	Number	5-“5”
String	“-”	Number	Number	“5”-5
String	“-”	String	Number	“5”-“5”
List	“-”	Number	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] - 4
List	“-”	String	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] - “four”
List	“-”	List	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] - [“sub”]
List	“-”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	[1,2,3] - new Point
Number	“-”	List	Runtime Error	4 - [1,2,3]
Number	“-”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	4 - new point
String	“-”	List	Runtime Error	“4” - [1,2,3]
String	“-”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	“4” - new point
Object	“-”	Number	Check Operator Overloading	new point - 1
Object	“-”	String	Check Operator Overloading	new point - “test”
Object	“-”	List	Check Operator Overloading	new point - [10,10]
Object	“-”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	new point - new point
Number	“*”	Number	Number	5*5
Number	“*”	String	Number	5*”5”
String	“*”	Number	Number	“5”*5
String	“*”	String	Number	“5”*”5”
List	“*”	Number	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] * 4
List	“*”	String	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] * “four”
List	“*”	List	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] * [“sub”]
List	“*”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	[1,2,3] * new Point
Number	“*”	List	Runtime Error	4 * [1,2,3]
Number	“*”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	4 * new point
String	“*”	List	Runtime Error	“4” * [1,2,3]
String	“*”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	“4” * new point
Object	“*”	Number	Check Operator Overloading	new point * 1
Object	“*”	String	Check Operator Overloading	new point * “test”
Object	“*”	List	Check Operator Overloading	new point * [10,10]
Object	“*”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	new point * new point
Number	“/”	Number	Number	5/5
Number	“/”	String	Number	5/”5”
String	“/”	Number	Number	“5”/5
String	“/”	String	Number	“5”/”5”
List	“/”	Number	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] / 4
List	“/”	String	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] / “four”
List	“/”	List	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] / [“sub”]
List	“/”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	[1,2,3] / new Point
Number	“/”	List	Runtime Error	4 / [1,2,3]
Number	“/”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	4 / new point
String	“/”	List	Runtime Error	“4” / [1,2,3]
String	“/”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	“4” / new point
Object	“/”	Number	Check Operator Overloading	new point / 1
Object	“/”	String	Check Operator Overloading	new point / “test”
Object	“/”	List	Check Operator Overloading	new point / [10,10]
Object	“/”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	new point / new point
Number	“%”	Number	Number	5%5
Number	“%”	String	Number	5%”5”
String	“%”	Number	Number	“5”%5
String	“%”	String	Number	“5”%”5”
List	“%”	Number	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] % 4
List	“%”	String	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] % “four”
List	“%”	List	Runtime Error	[1,2,3] % [“sub”]
List	“%”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	[1,2,3] % new Point
Number	“%”	List	Runtime Error	4 % [1,2,3]
Number	“%”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	4 % new point
String	“%”	List	Runtime Error	“4” % [1,2,3]
String	“%”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	“4” % new point
Object	“%”	Number	Check Operator Overloading	new point % 1
Object	“%”	String	Check Operator Overloading	new point % “test”
Object	“%”	List	Check Operator Overloading	new point % [10,10]
Object	“%”	Object	Check Operator Overloading	new point % new point
Number	“++”	…	Number	5++
String	“++”	…	Syntax Error/Runtime Error	x=”5” x++
List	“++”	…	Syntax Error/Runtime Error	x=[1,2,3] x++
Object	“++”	…	Syntax Error/Runtime Error	x=new point x++
Number	“–”	…	Number	5–
String	“–”	…	Syntax Error/Runtime Error	x=”5” x–
List	“–”	…	Syntax Error/Runtime Error	x=[1,2,3] x–
Object	“–”	…	Syntax Error/Runtime Error	x=new point x–

Note

The behavior of the power operator with respect to different types is similar to the -, *, / and % operators.

Mixing Relational Operators and Types

Using Relational Operators like <, <=, >, >= could produce True, False OR runtime error.

When mixing Strings and Numbers with these operators, The string will be converted to a number.

Example (2):

? 5 < 7         # 1 (True)
? "5" < 7       # 1 (True)
? 5 < "7"       # 1 (True)
? "5" < "7"     # 1 (True)
? "test" < 5    # Runtime Error (Invalid numeric string)

Note

Using these operators with lists or objects will produce a runtime error. An exception to this rule is having an object the comes first before the operator and this object support operator overloading.

Using relational operators like = or != will only produce True OR False (i.e. no runtime error)

Also, when mixing Strings and Numbers with these operators, The string will be converted to a number.

Example (3):

? "5" = 5       # 1 (True)
? 5 = "5"       # 1 (True)
? 5 = 5         # 1 (True)
? "5" = "5"     # 1 (True)
? 5 = 7         # 0 (False)
? "5" = 7       # 0 (False)
? 5 = "7"       # 0 (False)
? "5" = "7"     # 0 (False)
? "test" = 5    # 0 (False)

? "5" != 5      # 0 (False)
? 5 != "5"      # 0 (False)
? 5 != 5        # 0 (False)
? "5" != "5"    # 0 (False)
? 5 != 7        # 1 (True)
? "5" != 7      # 1 (True)
? 5 != "7"      # 1 (True)
? "5" != "7"    # 1 (True)
? "test" != 5   # 1 (True)

Example (4):

? 12500 = "0012500"             # 1 (True)
? 12500 = "0012500-PRY-09"      # 0 (False)

# When we compare between number and a string
# If we found the number --> Then we ignore Space, Tab, \n, \r after that number
# We consider "" to be like Zero but we don't do that for Space, Tab, \n and \r
# Note: if 0 -> False while if " " -> True

? 1 =  "1  x"                   # 0 (False)
? 1 = "1     "                  # 1 (True)
? 0 = ""                        # 1 (True)
? 0 = "       0        "        # 1 (True)
? 1 = "       1       "         # 1 (True)
? 0 = "000000"                  # 1 (True)
? 0 = "00000
"                               # 1 (True)
? 1 = "       1
"                               # 1 (True)

? 0 = " "                       # 0 (False)

if 0                            # False
        ? :fail
else
        ? :pass
ok                              # pass

if ""                           # False
        ? :fail
else
        ? :pass
ok                              # pass

if " "                          # True
        ? :pass
else
        ? :fail
ok                              # pass

Note

Using these operators to compare between objects or lists will compare between them at the reference level (not the value)

Example (5):

aList    = [1,2,3]
aList2   = [1,2,3]
? aList  = aList        # 1 (True)
? aList  = aList2       # 0 (False)

aList3   = ref(aList)
? aList3 = aList        # 1 (True)

Mixing Logical Operators and Types

We have the next rules:

• Logical operators always produce True/False

• The Zero number is considered False

• The Empty string is considered False

• The Empty list is considered False

• The list that wrap C pointer is considered False if the pointer is NULL

• All other values are True

Example (6):

? 1 and 1                       # 1 (True)
? "test" and "test"             # 1 (True)
? [1,2,3] and "test"            # 1 (True)
? 1 and "test" and [1,2,3]      # 1 (True)
? 1 and new point               # 1 (True)
? 1 and 0                       # 0 (False)
? 1 and ""                      # 0 (False)
? 1 and []                      # 0 (False)
? 1 and NULLPointer()           # 0 (False)

class point

Mixing Bitwise Operators and Types

These operators support numbers. Also, it will automatically convert strings to numbers if this is possible or produce a runtime error if the string can’t be converted.

Using these operators with lists or objects produce a runtime error with an exception to this rule.

The exception is using objects that support operator overloading where the object comes first before the operator.

Example (7):

? 1 & 1                 # 1
? "1" & 1               # 1
? 1 & "3"               # 1
? "3" & "3"             # 3
? "123" & "123"         # 123

Mixing Assignment Operators and Types

Using assignment we can assign any value to any variable.

Using += support Strings & Numbers and will produce a runtime error if used with other types

Using other assignment operators like -=, *=, /=, %=, <<=, >>=, etc. support only numbers and will produce a runtime error if used with other types.

Example (8):

cStr = "one"
cStr += " two"
? cStr          # one two
nNum = 100
nNum += 200
? nNum          # 300