What is the logical xor operator in java? [duplicate]

Question

In java, there is a logical OR operator (||) and a logical AND operator (&&). Is there a logical XOR operator? I tried ^^ but it does not work.

Answer 1

The logical XOR operator does exist in Java and is spelled ^.

To get the terminology right, in Java:

• &, | and ^ are called bitwise or logical operators, depending on the types of their arguments;
• && and || are called conditional operators.

For details, see JLS § 15.22. Bitwise and Logical Operators onwards.

There is no direct equivalent for && and || for XOR. The only reason && and || exist as separate operators from & and | is their short-circuiting behaviour (that's why they're called "conditional"), and XOR cannot be short-circuited.