I think it is important question and it is not answered yet (the OP seems to already know about shift operators). Let me try to answer, the >> operator in your example is used for two different purposes. In c++ terms this operator is overloaded. In the first example it is used as bitwise operator (left shift), while in the second scenario it is merely used as output redirection. i.e.

2 << 5 # shift to left by 5 bits2 >> 5 # shift to right by 5 bitsprint >> obj, "Hello world" # redirect the output to obj, 

example

with open('foo.txt', 'w') as obj:    print >> obj, "Hello world" # hello world now saved in foo.txt

update:

In python 3 it is possible to give the file argument directly as follows:

print("Hello world", file=open("foo.txt", "a")) # hello world now saved in foo.txt

These are bitwise shift operators.

Quoting from the docs:

x << y

Returns x with the bits shifted to the left by y places (and new bits on the right-hand-side are zeros). This is the same as multiplying x by 2**y.

x >> y

Returns x with the bits shifted to the right by y places. This is the same as dividing x by 2**y.

12 << 2

48

Actual binary value of 12 is "00 1100" when we execute the above statement Left shift ( 2 places shifted left) returns the value 48 its binary value is "11 0000".

48 >> 2

12

The binary value of 48 is "11 0000", after executing above statement Right shift ( 2 places shifted right) returns the value 12 its binary value is "00 1100".