~ (bitwise NOT) operator is a unary prefix operator that inverts all bits in the binary representation of an integer. It performs a logical negation on each individual bit, transitioning every 0 to a 1 and every 1 to a 0 across the exact memory footprint of the underlying data type.
Syntax
As a prefix operator,~ must be placed immediately before its operand without any intervening whitespace.
Bit-Level Mechanics
When applied to an unsigned integer, the operator performs a straightforward bitwise inversion bounded by the bit-width of the type.Behavior with Signed Integers
Swift represents signed integers using two’s complement. Because the sign bit is also inverted by the~ operator, applying it to a signed integer alters its sign and magnitude. Mathematically, applying the bitwise NOT operator to a signed integer x yields -(x + 1).
Operator Characteristics
- Fixity: Prefix.
- Type Constraints: The operand must conform to the
BinaryIntegerprotocol. - Precedence: It evaluates with the highest precedence among bitwise operators. In an expression combining
~with binary bitwise operators (like&,|, or^), the~operation is resolved first.
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