Operator Precedence

·	parentheses ( )

·	exponentiation (^)

·	negation (-)

·	multiplication (*), floating point division (/)

·	integer division (\)

·	modulo (MOD)

·	addition (+), subtraction (-)

·	relational operators (<, <=, =, >=, >, <>)

·	NOT, ISFALSE, ISTRUE

AND

·	OR, XOR (exclusive OR)

·	EQV (equivalence)

·	IMP (implication)

For example, the expression 3+6 / 3 evaluates to 5, not 3. Division has a higher priority than addition, so the division operation (6 / 3) is performed first. Even though the compiler will not get confused, people still could, so a better programming style might be to use 3 + (6 / 3) or 3 + 6/3, either using parentheses or spacing to make the intent clear. Otherwise it is easy to misread the statement as (3 + 6) / 3.

To handle operations of the same priority, PowerBASIC proceeds from left to right. For example, in the expression 4 - 3 + 6, the subtraction (4 - 3) is performed before the addition (3 + 6), producing the intermediate expression 1 + 6.

Operations inside parentheses are of the highest priority and are always evaluated first. Within parentheses, standard precedence is used. Use parentheses like garlic: generously, but not to excess.

Another example of the effect of Order of Precedence on an expression follows:

x = -1^2

At first glance, the result of 1 may be the expected result (since -1 * -1 = 1); however, the unary negation operator has a lower precedence than exponentiation, so the expression is evaluated as x& = -(1^2) which gives a result value of -1. As noted above, the use of parentheses can clarify the intended expression:

x = (-1)^2