unsigned char x = 0x1C; unsigned char y = 0x95; In binary x's value: 00011100 y's value: 10010101 ---------- --------- x ^ y : 10001001 In hex x's value: 0x1C y's value: 0x95 --------- -- x ^ y 0x89 (In decimal, x ^ y = 137.) The | operation is performed on each bit position k of its operands to produce the bit value in the k-th position of the result. The result bit is determined by the table right bit 0 1 ------ left bit 0| 0 1 1| 1 0