B'01101'</literal>
        <returnvalue>11101</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <type>bit</type> <literal>#</literal> <type>bit</type>
        <returnvalue>bit</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Bitwise exclusive OR (inputs must be of equal length)
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>B'10001' # B'01101'</literal>
        <returnvalue>11100</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <literal>~</literal> <type>bit</type>
        <returnvalue>bit</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Bitwise NOT
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>~ B'10001'</literal>
        <returnvalue>01110</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <type>bit</type> <literal>&lt;&lt;</literal> <type>integer</type>
        <returnvalue>bit</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Bitwise shift left
        (string length is preserved)
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>B'10001' &lt;&lt; 3</literal>
        <returnvalue>01000</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <type>bit</type> <literal>&gt;&gt;</literal> <type>integer</type>
        <returnvalue>bit</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Bitwise shift right
        (string length is preserved)
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>B'10001' &gt;&gt; 2</literal>
        <returnvalue>00100</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>
     </tbody>
    </tgroup>
   </table>

   <para>
    Some of the functions available for binary strings are also available
    for bit strings, as shown in <xref linkend="functions-bit-string-table"/>.
   </para>

   <table id="functions-bit-string-table">
    <title>Bit String Functions</title>
    <tgroup cols="1">
     <thead>
      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        Function
       </para>
       <para>
        Description
       </para>
       <para>
        Example(s)
       </para></entry>
      </row>
     </thead>

     <tbody>
      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <indexterm>
         <primary>bit_count</primary>
        </indexterm>
        <function>bit_count</function> ( <type>bit</type> )
        <returnvalue>bigint</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Returns the number of bits set in the bit string (also known as
        <quote>popcount</quote>).
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>bit_count(B'10111')</literal>
        <returnvalue>4</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <indexterm>
         <primary>bit_length</primary>
        </indexterm>
        <function>bit_length</function> ( <type>bit</type> )
        <returnvalue>integer</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Returns number of bits in the bit string.
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>bit_length(B'10111')</literal>
        <returnvalue>5</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>
       <entry role="func_table_entry"><para role="func_signature">
        <indexterm>
         <primary>length</primary>
        </indexterm>
        <indexterm>
         <primary>bit string</primary>
         <secondary>length</secondary>
        </indexterm>
        <function>length</function> ( <type>bit</type> )
        <returnvalue>integer</returnvalue>
       </para>
       <para>
        Returns number of bits in the bit string.
       </para>
       <para>
        <literal>length(B'10111')</literal>
        <returnvalue>5</returnvalue>
       </para></entry>
      </row>

      <row>