View source for VBScript operator

VBScript operators allow you to compare values, do math with values, or put values together. They perform '''operations''' on values. Many VBScript operators perform different things based on context.

==Using operators==
In VBScript, operators perform operations to two operands (one operand in the case of the <code>Not</code> operator), many times the resulting action can depend on the context or content of operands.

Operators are evaluated in the "order of operations", similar to what you may have learned in math class.

===Order of operations===
The order of operation is the order that operations are done. Operators of the same type act from left to right, but of different type act depending on an order that was meant to make the most sense. Use parentheses (<code>(</code> and </code>)</code>) to force certain operations to occur before others.

Operators with a higher precedence number are evaluated first.[http://www.herongyang.com/VBScript/Expression-Precedences-of-Operations.html]
{|
|-
!Precedence
!Operator
!Description
|-
|14
|<code>(</code>...<code>)</code>
|Operations in [[#Parentheses|parentheses]]
|-
|13
|<code>.</code>, <code>Call</code>
|Object member access, and other function, property, and variable evaluation
|-
|12
|<code>^</code>
|[[VBScript arithmetic operator#Exponent operator: ^|Exponent]]
|-
|11
|<code>-</code>
|[[VBScript arithmetic operator#Negation operator: -|Unary negation]]
|-
|10
|<code>*</code>, <code>/</code>, <code>\</code>, <code>Mod</code>
|[[VBScript arithmetic operator#Multiplication operator: *|Multiplication]], [[VBScript arithmetic operator#Division operator: /|division (decimal)]], [[VBScript arithmetic operator#Integer division operator: \|division (integer)]], [[VBScript arithmetic operator#Modulus operator: Mod|modulus]]
|-
|9
|<code>+</code>, <code>-</code>
|[[VBScript arithmetic operator#Addition operator: +|Addition]], [[VBScript arithmetic operator#Subtraction operator: -|subtraction]]
|-
|8
|<code>&</code>, <code>+</code>
|[[#Concatenation operator: &|String concatenation]]
|-
|7
|<code>=</code>, <code><></code>, <code>></code>, <code><</code>, <code>>=</code>, <code><=</code>, <code>Is</code>
|[[VBScript comparison operator#Equals operator: =|Equal to]], [[VBScript comparison operator#Greater than and less than operators: >, <|greater than]], [[VBScript comparison operator#Greater than and less than operators: >, <|less than]], [[VBScript comparison operator#Combining: >=, <=|greater than or equal to]], [[VBScript comparison operator#Combining: >=, <=|less than or equal to]], [[VBScript comparison operator#Not equal to operator: <>|not equal to]], [[VBScript comparison operator#Is operator: compare object references|object references equal to]]
|-
|6
|<code>Not</code>
|[[VBScript logical operator#Logical negation operator: Not|Logical]] or [[VBScript bitwise operator#Bitwise negation operator: Not|bitwise]] negation
|-
|5
|<code>And</code>
|[[VBScript logical operator#Logical conjunction operator: And|Logical]] or [[VBScript bitwise operator#Bitwise conjunction operator: And|bitwise]] conjunction
|-
|4
|<code>Or</code>
|[[VBScript logical operator#Logical disjunction operator: Or|Logical]] or [[VBScript bitwise operator#Bitwise disjunction operator: Or|bitwise]] disjunction
|-
|3
|<code>Xor</code>
|[[VBScript logical operator#Logical exclusion operator: Xor|Logical]] or [[VBScript bitwise operator#Bitwise exclusion operator: Xor|bitwise]] exclusion
|-
|2
|<code>Eqv</code>
|[[VBScript logical operator#Logical equivalence operator: Eqv|Logical]] or [[VBScript bitwise operator#Bitwise equivalence operator: Eqv|bitwise]] equivalence
|-
|1
|<code>Imp</code>
|[[VBScript logical operator#Logical implication operator: Imp|Logical]] or [[VBScript bitwise operator#Bitwise implication operator: Imp|bitwise]] implication
|-
|0
|<code>=</code>, <code>Set</code> ... <code>=</code>
|[[#Assignment operator: =|Assignment operator]]
|}

===Parentheses===
Operations in parentheses are the highest precedence so that you can use them to evaluate specific parts of an expression before other parts, similar to their meaning in mathematical expressions.

Argument lists in functions are technically in parentheses so the set of arguments being passed to a function or subroutine are evaluated before the function processes them.

Assignment is always the last evaluated operator, and trying to use parentheses to change this will result in errors.

Examples:
 Value = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary").Count
Here, the CreateObject() function will return a new dictionary, then the result will be accessed for the <code>Count</code> property which will then be assigned to <code>Value</code>. This will not try to assign the object to <code>Value</code>.
 If 1 + 2 * 3 ^ 4 <> ((1 + 2) * 3) ^ 4 Then
This if block will return True, illustrating that the mathematical operations will be evaluated first, which goes in order: exponent, multiplication, addition; then the inequality will be evaluated.

==Assignment operator: <code>=</code>==
The Assignment operator, <code>=</code>, allows you to assign the variable, value, or result of another operation or function on the right to the variable on the left.

Example: Store a [[VBScript variable#Literals|literal]] value into <code>Var1</code>
 Var1 = "a literal string value"
Example: Store the value of <code>Var2</code> in <code>Var1</code>
 Var1 = Var2
Example: Store the result of a function into <code>Var1</code> called <code>SomeFunction</code> with the variable <code>SomeArgument</code> passed to it.
 Var1 = SomeFunction(SomeArgument)

==Concatenation operator: <code>&</code>==
The <code>&</code> operator takes two values and returns the result of them as a String.
 Var1 = "H" & "ello"
<code>Var1</code> will contain the string "Hello".
 Var1 = "The number is " & 1
<code>Var1</code> will contain the string "The number is 1".
 Var1 = 1 & 1
<code>Var1</code> will contain the string "11" even though neither operands are a string. In all cases, a variable or function call could be substituted for the literals in these examples.

It is also valid to use the <code>+</code> operator between two string values to concatenate them, but you have to make sure one operator is string or it will attempt to [[VBScript arithmetic operator#Addition operator|add]] the values.

==Comparison operators==
{{Main|VBScript comparison operator}}
Comparison operators compare two '''operands''' and return a Boolean indicating success (True) or failure (False).

===Logical operators===
{{Main|VBScript logical operator}}
Logical operators are a type of comparison operator that takes two Booleans and returns another Boolean, such as the results of other comparison operators.

==Arithmetic operators==
{{Main|VBScript arithmetic operator}}
Arithmetic operators take two numeric operands and return a Double result.

===Bitwise operators===
{{Main|VBScript bitwise operator}}
Bitwise operators are a type of arithmetic operator that takes two Integers and returns another Integer. In VBScript, the same operators that are logical operators are also bitwise operators. "Bitwise" meaning that they operate on each "bit" or part of the number in binary, basically doing the same operation as their logical counterpart but to each of the bits.

==See also==
* [[VBScript block]]
* [[VBScript variable]]
* [[VBScript error]]
* [[VBScript language]]
* [[Script system]]