BITXOR

What it does

BITXOR(number1, number2)

BITXOR(number1, number2) combines two nonnegative integers bit by bit. A result bit is one when exactly one input bits are one. The returned value is a decimal worksheet number.

Try it

=BITXOR(12,10) returns 6. In four bits the inputs are 1100 and 1010; applying XOR gives 0110.

Quirks

Both inputs must already be integers in 0..2^48-1 (281474976710655). Fractions are rejected with #NUM!, rather than truncated. Nonnumeric arguments give #VALUE!. Negative numbers do not denote a signed two’s-complement operand in this family.

How to implement

Coerce and validate the two numbers before integer conversion. Use a type able to retain all 48 admitted bits, then compute left ^ right and convert the result to binary64. Every admitted integer and result is exactly representable in binary64. Languages whose bitwise operators first narrow to 32 bits need a wider integer or arbitrary-precision integer path. The four-bit example uses no approximation; validation and error ordering are the separate worksheet obligations.

Rust code

22 bitxor "BITXOR" (2, 2) [V "number1", V "number2"] |s, a, sv| { bits(s, a, k::bitxor_fn::bitxor_kernel) }

pub fn bitxor_kernel(lhs: f64, rhs: f64) -> Result<f64, WorksheetErrorCode> {
    Ok((coerce_bit_operand(lhs)? ^ coerce_bit_operand(rhs)?) as f64)
}

No implementation has been published with a Handbook test suite for this function.

Version differences

The recorded environments below distinguish a reading from a same-input comparison. Counts describe captured inputs in each environment; overlapping captures and comparisons are not totals of unique worksheet calls.

The record contains no same-input comparison between these environments. Reading different inputs on different builds does not establish either a version change or cross-build agreement.

Recorded environments and comparison details.

Alternatives

BITAND retains shared bits and BITOR retains either operand’s set bits. BITLSHIFT moves a pattern without combining two operands.

Named variants

No named variants are recorded yet.