set, clear and toggle a single bit in C

Setting a bit

Use the bitwise OR operator (|) to set a bit.

 number |=1<< x; 

That will set bit x.

Clearing a bit

Use the bitwise AND operator (&) to clear a bit.

 number &=~(1<< x); 

That will clear bit x. You must invert the bit string with the bitwise NOT operator (~), then AND it.

Toggling a bit

The XOR operator (^) can be used to toggle a bit.

 number ^=1<< x; 

That will toggle bit x.

Checking a bit

You didn't ask for this but I might as well add it.

To check a bit, AND it with the bit you want to check:

 bit = number &(1<< x); 

That will put the value of bit x into the variable bit.