Operator
An operator is a symbol within a mathematical expression that defines a specific operation. For example, the plus symbol (+) is an operator that represents addition.
Common operators include:
- + (add)
- - (subtract)
- * or x (mulitply)
- / or ÷ (divide)
- % or mod (modulus)
Consider the calculation:
2 + 3 x 4 = 14
In the expression above, + and x are operators, while the numbers 2, 3, and 4 are operands. 14 is the result (since the x operand takes precedence over the + operand).
While operands are typically associated with mathematics, they also apply to computer science. For example, the function below contains two operators and three operands.
halfPlusSeven(x)
{
$total = $x / 2 + 7;
return $total;
}The / and + symbols are operators, while the variable $x and the numbers 2 and 7 are operands. If x = 30, the expression will evaluate as (30 / 2) + 7, which will return a result of 22.