Difference between Operator Precedence and Operator Associativity
Aspect | Operator Precedence | Operator Associativity |
---|---|---|
Definition | Determines the order of evaluation of operators in an expression. | Defines the direction of evaluation when operators of the same precedence appear. |
Priority | Higher precedence operators are evaluated before lower precedence operators. | Associativity determines the order in which operators are evaluated within an expression of the same precedence. |
Example | In 2 + 3 * 4 , * has higher precedence than + , so 3 * 4 is evaluated first. |
In 2 + 3 + 4 , left-associative operators are evaluated from left to right. |
Representation | Precedence levels are often specified in language documentation or expressed with parentheses in expressions. | Associativity is usually implicit and is determined by the language specification. |
Difference between Operator Precedence and Operator Associativity
In programming, operators are used to perform various operations on data. Understanding how operators interact with each other is crucial for writing correct and efficient code. In this article, we will explore the two most important concepts which are Operator Precedence and Operator Associativity.