operatorprecedence

Operator precedence is the set of rules that determine the order in which operators are applied to operands in expressions. Most languages define a hierarchy in which higher-precedence operators are evaluated before lower-precedence ones, and parentheses can override this order. The concept helps parsers convert expressions into a correct abstract syntax or evaluation plan.

Associativity is closely related to precedence. It defines the direction of evaluation for operators that share the same precedence level, such as left-to-right or right-to-left. Together, precedence and associativity specify the structure of an expression without needing explicit parentheses for every case.

Example: in the expression 3 + 4 * 5, the multiplication has higher precedence, so the calculation is 3 + (4 * 5) = 23. If the expression is written as (3 + 4) * 5, the result is 35. Parentheses are a direct way to override the default precedence rules.

Language differences exist in the details of precedence and associativity. In many languages such as C, Java, and JavaScript, multiplication and division have higher precedence than addition and subtraction, and many binary operators are evaluated left-to-right. Python, by contrast, makes exponentiation right-associative, so 2 ** 3 ** 2 is 2 ** (3 ** 2).

Practical implication: relying on operator precedence can reduce clarity; when in doubt, or when side effects are involved, explicit parentheses improve readability and reduce the chance of misinterpretation. Understanding a language’s precedence table helps in reading and writing expressions correctly.