Bitwise OR: bitwise_or

The bitwise_or template function performs a bitwise OR operation on two integer values. Each bit in the result is set to 1 if at least one of the corresponding bits in the input values is 1.

This is useful when you need to combine multiple status flags into a single value or set specific bits in a bitmask. For example, if different sensorsSensors return information about a thing, for instance the level of water in a tank. [Learn more] each report a single flag bit and you want to combine them into a single status register, bitwise_or lets you merge them together.

Usage

Here’s how to use this template function. Copy any example and adjust it to your setup.

{{ bitwise_or(5, 3) }}

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{{ 5 | bitwise_or(3) }}

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Function signature

The signature is a technical summary of this template function. It shows the name of the function, the values (called parameters) it accepts, and what type of data each parameter expects (for example, a piece of text or a number).

Function parameters that have a = with a value after them are optional. If you leave them out, the default value shown is used automatically. Function parameters without a default are required.

bitwise_or(
    first_value: Any,
    second_value: Any,
) -> int

Function parameters

The following parameters can be provided to this function.

Good to know

• Both inputs must be integers. Convert state strings with int first.
• Binary literals like 0b0010 work and can make bit flags more readable.

Try it yourself

Ready to test this? Open Developer tools > Template, paste the example into the Template editor, and watch the result update on the right. Edit the values to see how the function adapts to your own entitiesAn entity represents a sensor, actor, or function in Home Assistant. Entities are used to monitor physical properties or to control other entities. An entity is usually part of a device or a service. [Learn more].

More examples

Real scenarios where this function comes up in automations and templates. Copy any example and adapt it to your setup.

Combining status flags

Combine two flag values into a single bitmask.

{% set flag_a = 0b0010 %}
{% set flag_b = 0b0100 %}
{{ bitwise_or(flag_a, flag_b) }}

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Still stuck?

The Home Assistant community is quick to help: join Discord for real-time chat, post on the community forum with your template and expected result, or share on our subreddit /r/homeassistant.

Related template functions

These functions work well alongside this one:

• Bitwise AND: bitwise_and - Performs a bitwise AND operation on two values.

• Bitwise XOR: bitwise_xor - Performs a bitwise XOR (exclusive OR) operation on two values.