about >>> question

[Shiao Kung Chux]

Which of the following results in a negative value of a?

A. int a = -1; a = a >>> 8;
B. byte a = -1; a = (byte)(a >>> 5);
C. int a = -1; a = a >> 5;
D. int a = -1; a = a >>> 32;

Answer: BCD

why? the book says >>> will have a positive result?

[mohit junejaa]

i thibk answer sshd be b and c

b will be negative cause int is again converted back byte
hence higher order bytes r removed
hence answer becomes negative

a>>>5

first of all a is converted to int

as int a is represented as :: 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111

now a>>> 5 will make a : 0000 0111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111 1111

now a is converted to byte (a = (byte)(a>>>5))

hence a = 1111 1111

or a = -1

[Barry Gaunt]

In case B, a>>>5 is certainly positive: but it's the cast from the intermediate int result to a byte that makes the final result negative.


In case D, the shift of 32 bits turns out to be a a shift of 0 bits. That's because a is an int and only the rightmost 5 bits of the shift operand (32) are taken. A >>> shift of 0 leaves a (-1) unchanged, therefore the result is negative.