title: Vertical bar usage in SQL
body: <p>I keep running across (someone else's) code like this</p>
  
  <pre><code>Case
  When (variable &amp; (2|4|8|16)&gt;0) Then ...
  WHEN (variable &amp; (1|32)&gt;0 Then ...
  ...
  End
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I figure what's happening here is it's testing whether there is a 1 or a 0 in the 2^1, 2^2, 2^3, or 2^4 places of the <code>variable</code> variable. Is this right? Either way I'm still unclear on why this expression is written in the way it is. I'm unable to find any documentation on this logic mostly because I don't know what to really call it.</p>