---
title: "Binary Operators | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "11/04/2016"
ms.technology: ["cpp-language"]
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helpviewer_keywords: ["member-selection operators [C++]", "operators [C++], binary", "binary operators [C++]"]
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---
# Binary Operators
The following table shows a list of operators that can be overloaded.  
  
### Redefinable Binary Operators  
  
|Operator|Name|  
|--------------|----------|  
|**,**|Comma|  
|`!=`|Inequality|  
|`%`|Modulus|  
|`%=`|Modulus/assignment|  
|**&**|Bitwise AND|  
|**&&**|Logical AND|  
|**&=**|Bitwise AND/assignment|  
|**\***|Multiplication|  
|**\*=**|Multiplication/assignment|  
|**+**|Addition|  
|`+=`|Addition/assignment|  
|**-**|Subtraction|  
|**-=**|Subtraction/assignment|  
|**->**|Member selection|  
|**->\***|Pointer-to-member selection|  
|**/**|Division|  
|`/=`|Division/assignment|  
|**<**|Less than|  
|**<<**|Left shift|  
|**<<=**|Left shift/assignment|  
|**<=**|Less than or equal to|  
|**=**|Assignment|  
|`==`|Equality|  
|**>**|Greater than|  
|**>=**|Greater than or equal to|  
|**>>**|Right shift|  
|**>>=**|Right shift/assignment|  
|**^**|Exclusive OR|  
|`^=`|Exclusive OR/assignment|  
|**&#124;**|Bitwise inclusive OR|  
|`&#124;=`|Bitwise inclusive OR/assignment|  
|`&#124;&#124;`|Logical OR|  
  
 To declare a binary operator function as a nonstatic member, you must declare it in the form:  
  
 *ret-type* **operator**`op`**(** `arg` **)**  
  
 where *ret-type* is the return type, `op` is one of the operators listed in the preceding table, and `arg` is an argument of any type.  
  
 To declare a binary operator function as a global function, you must declare it in the form:  
  
 *ret-type* **operator**`op`**(** `arg1`**,** `arg2` **)**  
  
 where *ret-type* and `op` are as described for member operator functions and `arg1` and `arg2` are arguments. At least one of the arguments must be of class type.  
  
> [!NOTE]
>  There is no restriction on the return types of the binary operators; however, most user-defined binary operators return either a class type or a reference to a class type.  
  
## See Also  
 [Operator Overloading](../cpp/operator-overloading.md)