Assignment Operators in JavaScript
Purpose
- Assignment operators are used to assign a value to a variable.
- They provide a shorthand way to perform an operation on a variable and then assign the result back to the same variable.
Common Assignment Operators:
- = (Simple Assignment): Assigns the value on the right-hand side to the variable on the left-hand side.
let x = 5; /* Assigns the value 5 to the variable x*/
- += (Addition Assignment): Adds the value on the right-hand side to the variable and assigns the result back to the variable.
let x = 5:
x += 3; /* Equivalent to x = x + 3; (x will now be 8)*/
- -= (Subtraction Assignment): Subtracts the value on the right-hand side from the variable and assigns the result back to the variable.
let x = 10;
x -= 3; /* Equivalent to x = x - 3; (x will now be 7)*/
- *= (Multiplication Assignment): Multiplies the variable by the value on the right-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.
let x = 5;
x *= 3; /* Equivalent to x = x * 3; (x will now be 15)*/
- /= (Division Assignment): Divides the variable by the value on the right-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.
let x = 10;
x /= 2; /* Equivalent to x = x / 2; (x will now be 5)*/
- %= (Modulo Assignment): Performs the modulo operation (returns the remainder of the division) and assigns the result back to the variable.
let x = 10;
x %= 3; /* Equivalent to x = x % 3; (x will now be 1)*/
- **= (Exponentiation Assignment): Raises the variable to the power of the value on the right-hand side and assigns the result back to the variable.
let x = 2;
x **= 3; /* Equivalent to x = x ** 3; (x will now be 8)*/
Benefits of Using Assignment Operators:
- Shorter and more concise code: They provide a more compact way to perform operations and assignments.
- Improved readability: In some cases, assignment operators can make the code easier to read and understand.