diff --git a/language/operators.xml b/language/operators.xml
index 5b8839b041..b51bebc07c 100644
--- a/language/operators.xml
+++ b/language/operators.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
-<!-- $Revision: 1.140 $ -->
+<!-- $Revision: 1.141 $ -->
  <chapter xml:id="language.operators" xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook">
   <title>Operators</title>
   <simpara>
@@ -441,7 +441,6 @@ $b .= "There!"; // sets $b to "Hello There!", just like $b = $b . "There!";
     Right shifts have copies of the sign bit shifted in on the left,
     meaning the sign of an operand is preserved.
    </para>
-
    <para>
     Use parentheses to ensure the desired
     <link linkend="language.operators.precedence">precedence</link>.
@@ -450,13 +449,66 @@ $b .= "There!"; // sets $b to "Hello There!", just like $b = $b . "There!";
     <userinput>($a &amp; $b) == true</userinput> evaluates the bitwise and
     then the equivalency.
    </para>
-
    <para>
     Be aware of data type conversions. If both the left-hand and
     right-hand parameters are strings, the bitwise operator will
     operate on the characters' ASCII values.
    </para>
-
+   <para>
+    <informalexample>
+     <para>
+      <literallayout>
+PHP's error_reporting ini setting uses bitwise values,
+providing a real-world demonstration of turning
+bits off. To show all errors, except for notices,
+the php.ini file instructions say to use:
+<userinput>E_ALL &amp; ~E_NOTICE</userinput>
+      </literallayout>
+     </para>
+     <para>
+      <literallayout>
+This works by starting with E_ALL:
+<computeroutput>00000000000000000111011111111111</computeroutput>
+Then taking the value of E_NOTICE...
+<computeroutput>00000000000000000000000000001000</computeroutput>
+... and inverting it via <userinput>~</userinput>:
+<computeroutput>11111111111111111111111111110111</computeroutput>
+Finally, it uses AND (&amp;) to find the bits turned
+on in both values:
+<computeroutput>00000000000000000111011111110111</computeroutput>
+      </literallayout>
+     </para>
+     <para>
+      <literallayout>
+Another way to accomplish that is using XOR (<userinput>^</userinput>)
+to find bits that are on in only one value or the other:
+<userinput>E_ALL ^ E_NOTICE</userinput>
+      </literallayout>
+     </para>
+    </informalexample>
+   </para>
+   <para>
+    <informalexample>
+     <para>
+      <literallayout>
+error_reporting can also be used to demonstrate turning bits on.
+The way to show just errors and recoverable errors is:
+<userinput>E_ERROR | E_RECOVERABLE_ERROR</userinput>
+      </literallayout>
+     </para>
+     <para>
+      <literallayout>
+This process combines E_ERROR
+<computeroutput>00000000000000000000000000000001</computeroutput>
+and
+<computeroutput>00000000000000000001000000000000</computeroutput>
+using the OR (<userinput>|</userinput>) operator
+to get the bits turned on in either value:
+<computeroutput>00000000000000000001000000000001</computeroutput>
+      </literallayout>
+     </para>
+    </informalexample>
+   </para>
    <para>
     <example>
      <title>Bitwise AND, OR and XOR operations on integers</title>