Python: Find the XOR of two given strings interpreted as binary numbers

Python Programming Puzzles: Exercise-25 with Solution

Write a Python program to find the XOR of two given strings interpreted as binary numbers.

Note: XOR represents the inequality function, i.e., the output is true if the inputs are not alike otherwise the output is false. A way to remember XOR is "must have one or the other but not both". XOR can also be viewed as addition modulo 2. As a result, XOR gates are used to implement binary addition in computers.

Input:
['0001', '1011']
Output:
0b1010

Input:
['100011101100001', '100101100101110']
Output:
0b110001001111

Pictorial Presentation:

Sample Solution-1:

Python Code:

#License: https://bit.ly/3oLErEI
def test(nums):
    return bin(int(nums[0],2) ^ int(nums[1],2))
nums =  ["0001", "1011"]
print("Original strings:")
print(nums)
print("XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:")
print(test(nums))
nums =  ["100011101100001", "100101100101110"]
print("\nOriginal strings:")
print(nums)
print("XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:")
print(test(nums))

Sample Output:

Original strings:
['0001', '1011']
XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:
0b1010

Original strings:
['100011101100001', '100101100101110']
XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:
0b110001001111

Flowchart:

Visualize Python code execution:

The following tool visualize what the computer is doing step-by-step as it executes the said program:

Sample Solution-2:

Python Code:

#License: https://bit.ly/3oLErEI

def test(nums):
    a, b = nums
    xor = int(a, 2) ^ int(b, 2)
    return bin(xor)[2:].zfill(len(a))

nums =  ["0001", "1011"]
print("Original strings:")
print(nums)
print("XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:")
print(test(nums))
nums =  ["100011101100001", "100101100101110"]
print("\nOriginal strings:")
print(nums)
print("XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:")
print(test(nums))

Sample Output:

Original strings:
['0001', '1011']
XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:
1010

Original strings:
['100011101100001', '100101100101110']
XOR of two said strings interpreted as binary numbers:
000110001001111

Flowchart:

Visualize Python code execution:

The following tool visualize what the computer is doing step-by-step as it executes the said program:

Python Code Editor :

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