Should I bit-shift to divide by 2 in Java? [duplicate]

Unless you’re working in a shop and a codebase where bit-shifting is common then, IMHO, you’re risking obfuscation. Yes, the expressions may be logically equivalent but:

  • A n00b might get confused by the alternate syntax
  • An old guy who hasn’t had to do any bit-shifting since college, like myself, might get confused
  • If you bit shift and feel the need to comment on what you just did then you’re definitely off. Simple division is self-documenting and would be clear to anyone who’s familiar with elementary math
  • You’re not going to outsmart a compiler for optimization on something that simple so don’t bother trying
  • As good coding practice it’s better to make your code simple/vanilla rather than clever(er)

All this is relative and, again, really depends on your shop’s standards. If your colleagues love to bit-shift, then by all means go forth and bit-shift.

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