Boolean Logic
Java programming
Tobias Andersson Gidlund
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Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 1(8)
Boolean logic
▶ The foundation for both selection and iteration is
boolean logic.
▶ Invented by George Boole (1815 – 1865).
▶ Like all logic, it evaluates an expression to either true or
false.
▶ What differs is that the used values in a boolean
expression can only be 0 or 1 (false and true).
▶ After that, the connectives not, and as well as or can be
used to put parts together.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 2(8)
Boolean expressions in Java
▶ In Java different variables with different values are evaluated.
▶ The variables can have other values than 1 and 0 (true and false).
▶ It is the evaluation of the expression that must become true or false.
▶ Three different types of operations are available to evaluate an expression:
▶ Equality operations
▶ Relational operators (size)
▶ Logical operations (not, and as well as or)
▶ These can be put together in many different ways to be evaluated.
▶ Since many mathematical symbols are not available on the keyboard other
combinations of characters are used.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 3(8)
Relational operators
▶ It is also possible to compare relations between two values.
▶ The following operators are allowed:
Mathematics Java Meaning
< < Less than
≤ <= Less than or equal to
> > Greater than
≥ >= Greater than or equal to
▶ The expression:
aNumber <= anotherNumber
▶ Is true if aNumber is less than or equal to anotherNumber.
▶ For example if aNumber is 3 and anotherNumber is 4.
▶ Or if both variables have the same value.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 4(8)
Logical operators
▶ A part from the earlier operators, there are also logical operators.
▶ They are part of the boolean logic and they are the connective between parts.
▶ They put two part together with a logical meaning.
▶ It is important to remember that the parts that are put together must be evaluated
to true or false.
▶ It is not, for example, possible to use integers as with relations and equality.
▶ After that the whole is evaluated.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 5(8)
The logical operators
▶ The logical operators are:
Logic Java Meaning
¬ ! Not, negation
∧ && And
∨ || Or
▶ Please notice that the operators & and | also exist but that they mean something
differently.
▶ They are so called bitwise logical operators.
▶ The logical operators can be used together with equality and relation.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 6(8)
Putting logical expressions together
▶ The different parts can then be put together to create longer logical expressions.
▶ Example:
aNumber > anotherNumber || anotherNumber > aNumber
▶ If aNumber is 3 and anotherNumber is 4, then the expression is true.
▶ But, how does Java know in what order to evaluate the parts?
▶ Java follow the mathematical priority order.
▶ This with an addition for the programming specific parts.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 7(8)
Priority order
▶ Operators have the following priority:
▶ Parenthesis
▶ Increase and decrease operators (++ and –)
▶ Multiplication, division and modulus
▶ Addition and subtraction
▶ Relational operators
▶ Equality operators
▶ Logical operators
▶ Assignment
▶ This makes it possible to chain several operators for longer calculations.
Department of Computer Science
Boolean Logic 8(8)
