Objects

"A region of memory that can contain data and has a type." (Lippman)

• cppreference: "A variable is an object or a reference that is not a non-static data member, that is introduced by a declaration."

Lippman

• C++ programmers use the terms "variable" and "object" interchangeably.
• variable expressions are lvalues
• a variable is an expression with one operand and no operator

Construction Order

• construction order
  • base classes (first to last)
  • data members (in declaration order)
  • constructor body
• destruction order
  • reverse of construction order (due to stack memory)

Initialization

• in C++: initialization != assignment
  • Initialization happens when a variable is given a value when it is created.
  • Assignment obliterates an object's current value and replaces that value with a new one.
• sources
  • see learn.microsoft.com

Default Initialization

• "the initialization performed when an object is constructed with no initializer", i.e. T object; or new T
• "performed in three situations"
  • 1. when a variable (...) is declared with no initializer T object;
  • 2. when an object (...) is created by a new-expression with no initializer new T
  • 3. when a (...) data member is not mentioned in a constructor initializer list and that constructor is called
• precisely:
  • if T is a class type,
    • the constructors are considered and subjected to overload resolution against the empty argument list.
    • The constructor selected (which is one of the default constructors) is called to provide the initial value for the new object;
  • if T is an array type,
    • every element of the array is default-initialized;
  • otherwise, eg. built-in type, no initialization is performed
    • this includes raw pointers, eg. MyClass *a; does not initialize a, stackoverflow

Examples:

• object of built-in type, compound type (eg. pointer to built-in type)
  • outside a block (global scope): 0, nullptr
  • inside a block (local scope): uninitialized/undefined
    • best practice:
      • every built-in type object, compound type object should be (in-class) initialized
      • provide a default constructor
• object of class type
  • value defined by the class
    • some classes require that every object be explicitly initialized

Value Initialization

• the initialization performed when an object is constructed with an empty initializer, i.e.
  • 1. T(), T{} (nameless temporary)
  • 4. T object{}; (named object)
• performed in these situations
  • 1. when a nameless temporary object is created with the initializer consisting of an empty pair of parentheses T() or braces T{};
  • 2. when an object with dynamic storage duration is created by a new-expression with the initializer consisting of an empty pair of parentheses new T() or braces new T{};
  • 3. when a non-static data member or a base class is initialized using a member initializer with an empty pair of parentheses Class::Class(...) : member () { ... } or braces Class::Class(...) : member {} { ... };
  • 4. when a named object (automatic, static, or thread-local) is declared with the initializer consisting of a pair of braces. (since C++ 11)
• effects:
  • if T is a class type with a ...
    • "user-provided" or "deleted default constructor" or "no default constructor": the object is default-initialized;
      • note: for "no default constructor" and "deleted default constructor" the compiler tries to default-initialize the object, but overload resolution (which happens during the default initialization of class type objects) cannot find a match and fails, so that the compiler will show an error ("no matching function for call to ‘X::X()’" or "use of deleted function ‘X::X()’" respectively)
    • "implicitly-defined" or "defaulted default constructor": all of the following 3 steps are performed in the following order:
      • 1. the object is zero-initialized,
        • ie. "each non-static data member is zero-initialized"
      • 2. the semantic constraints for default-initialization are checked, and
      • 3. if T has a non-trivial default constructor, the object is default-initialized;
        • "A trivial default constructor is a constructor that performs no action."
          • basically, a synthesized default constructor that does not initialize any of its (non-static) members
  • if T is an array type,
    • each element of the array is value-initialized;
  • otherwise, eg. built-in type, the object is zero-initialized.
• "References cannot be value-initialized"
• "All standard containers (std::vector, std::list, etc.) value-initialize their elements when constructed with a single size_type argument"

Lippman:

• "Initialization in which built-in types are initialized to zero and class types are initialized by the class's default constructor."
  • "Objects of a class type can be value initialized only if the class has a default constructor."
  • "Used to initialize a container's elements when a size, but not an element initializer, is specified."
    • "Elements are initialized as a copy of this compiler-generated value."

Zero-initialization

• "Sets the initial value of an object to zero."
• zero-initialization "does not have a dedicated syntax in the language", but other types of initialization perform zero-initialization
• If T is a non-union class type:
  • all padding bits are initialized to zero bits,
  • each non-static data member is zero-initialized,
  • each non-virtual base class subobject is zero-initialized, and
  • if the object is not a base class subobject, each virtual base class subobject is zero-initialized.
• If T is a scalar type, the object is initialized to the value obtained by explicitly converting the integer literal 0 (zero) to T
  • scalar types: "object types that are not array types or class types"
    • eg. pointers, arithmetic types (integral types, floating-point types), etc.
• remember: "null pointer constant" != "constant expression whose value is a null pointer"
  • from stackoverflow:
    • this difference usually only matters for the assignments in the code above
  • from stackoverflow:
    • Null pointer constant: Null pointer constant is either
      • nullptr (or any other prvalue of type std::nullptr_t), or
      • the integer literal of value 0.

read this: from stackoverflow

// explicit conversions of "0":
// https://stackoverflow.com/a/21387175
long *a = 0;           // ok, 0 is a null pointer constant
long *b = (long *)0;   // ok, (long *)0 is a null pointer with appropriate type
// invalid in C++:
long *c = (void *)0;   // ok in C, invalid conversion in C++
// In both C and C++, (int *)0 is a constant expression whose value is a null pointer. It is not, however, a "null pointer constant".
long *d = (int *)0;    // invalid conversion in both C and C++ -> "(int *)0" is allowed, but "(int *)0" MUST be assigned to an "int*" object

Copy Initialization

T object = other; 	// (1) 	
T object = {other}; 	// (2) 	(until C++11)
f(other) 	        // (3) 	
return other; 	        // (4) 	

• "Initializes an object from another object.", i.e. T object = other;
• we can supply only a single initializer
• happens when using =

string s1;            // default initialization; s1 is the empty string
string s2 = s1;       // s2 is a copy of s1
string s3 = "hiya";   // s3 is a copy of the string literal
int units_sold = 0;
// not "Copy Initialization"
int units_sold = {0}; // since C++11 this is classified as "copy-list-initialization"

• copy initialization usually uses the copy constructor, but sometimes it uses the move constructor
  • cppreference: "If other is an rvalue expression, a move constructor will be selected by overload resolution and called during copy-initialization. This is still considered copy-initialization; there is no special term (e.g., move-initialization) for this case."
• happens when
  • when we define variables using an =
  • functions
    • (Syntax 3) pass an object as an argument to a parameter of nonreference type ("pass by value")
    • (Syntax 4) return an object from a function that has a nonreference return type ("return by value")
  • brace initialization of
    • arrays
    • members of an aggregate class
  • container
    • initialization
    • when we insert or push a container member

Direct Initialization

• "Initializes an object from explicit set of constructor arguments."
• Syntax: see "Case 1, 2, etc." below
• uses the Copy Constructor (sometimes)
  • proof: see Copy Constructor → "called whenever an object is initialized (by direct-initialization ... ) ..."
  • for members of class type, not for built-in types (which do not have constructors)
  • direct initialization selects by overload resolution, therefore, any other constructor (eg. move constructor, one of the converting constructors, etc.) may be selected as well!

Difference: Direct vs Copy Initialization:

• direct initialization: asks the compiler to "use ordinary function matching to select the constructor that best matches the arguments we provide"
• copy initialization: asks the compiler to "copy the right-hand operand into the object being created, converting that operand if necessary"

Difference: Direct vs Direct-list Initialization:

• only for single non-class type initializer: is both direct-list-initialization and direct initialization
  • common example: int object{3}
  • the difference is well explained here: stackoverflow

Case 1

Happens when we omit the =

// Examples
string s4(10, 'c');   // s4 is cccccccccc
int units_sold(0);
int units_sold{0};    // - special case of "direct initialization" according to Case 4 (as long as the initializer is non-class type)
                      // - special case of "direct-list-initialization" with one element

Case 2

Happens when initializing with a nonempty parenthesized list:

• "1) Initialization with a nonempty parenthesized list of expressions or braced-init-lists" (ie. arg can be a braced-init-list, but it must be enclosed by parentheses ()!).

T object ( arg );               // (1)

T object ( arg1, arg2, ... );   // (1)

Case 3

Happens in constructor initializer lists:

• "6) Initialization of a base or a non-static member by constructor initializer list."
  • better explanation: learn.microsoft.com
  • here, "base" refers to the BaseClass when using inheritance (see Example 2)
    • because when using inheritance BaseClass(initializer) is in the constructor initializer list (like a member that is initialized)
• but: an empty pair of parentheses or braces means that the member is initialized via value initialization

// "member" is direct initialized
Class::Class() : member( args, ... ) { ... } 	// (6)

Example 2:

class DerivedClass : public BaseClass{
public:
    // BaseClass and m_char are direct initialized
    DerivedClass(int n, char c) : BaseClass(n), m_char(c) {}

    ...
}

Case 4

Single brace-enclosed initializer for built-in objects:

• "2) Initialization of an object of non-class type with a single brace-enclosed initializer"
  • Note: if the object is of class type, this would be list-initialization, or more precisely direct-list-initialization

T object { arg };

In-class Initialization

When we create objects, the in-class initializers will be used to initialize the data members.

• "Initializer provided as part of the declaration of a class data member."
• C++11
• Members without an initializer are default initialized
• When we provide an in-class initializer, we must do so
  • following an = sign (copy initialization) or
  • inside curly braces {} (direct initialization)
  • not: initializer in parentheses

List Initialization

• C++11
• "Initializes an object from braced-init-list.", "that is, a possibly empty brace-enclosed list of expressions or nested braced-init-lists"
• 2 syntaxes:
  • Direct-list-initialization
    • 1. T object { arg1, arg2, ... };, "initialization of a named variable with a braced-init-list (that is, a possibly empty brace-enclosed list of expressions or nested braced-init-lists)"
      • thus, "Direct Initialization" → "Case 4" is a special case of "Direct-list-initialization"
  • Copy-list-initialization
    • 6) T object = { arg1, arg2, ... };, "initialization of a named variable with a braced-init-list after an equals sign"

ADVANTAGES:

• The compiler will not let us list initialize variables of built-in type if the initializer might lead to the loss of information

long double ld = 3.1415926536;

// a: both "direct-list-initialization" and "direct initialization -> Case 4"
// b: both "copy-list-initialization" and "copy initialization"
int a{ld}, b = {ld}; // error: narrowing conversion required
// c: direct initialization
// d: copy initialization
int c(ld), d = ld;   // ok: but value will be truncated

VECTORS:

• when we supply a list of (vector) element values we can only do this by using list initialization
  • We cannot supply a list of initializers using parentheses:

vector<string> v1{"a", "an", "the"}; // list initialization
vector<string> v2("a", "an", "the"); // error

Aggregate Initialization

C++11:

• a form of list initialization (since C++11)
• "Initializes an aggregate from an initializer list."
  • T object = { arg1, arg2, ... };,
  • T object{ arg1, arg2, ... }; (since C++11)
• An aggregate is one of the following types:
  • array type
  • class type (typically, struct or union), that has
    • no user-provided, inherited, or explicit constructors
    • no private or protected non-static data members
    • no base classes
    • no virtual member function
    • no default member initializers (in-class initializers)

Reference Initialization

• "Binds a reference to an object."
• "A reference to T can be initialized with an object of type T, a function of type T, or an object implicitly convertible to T."
• "Once initialized, a reference cannot be reseated (changed) to refer to another object."

see cppreference:

1. When a named lvalue reference variable is declared with an initializer

T& ref = target ;
T& ref = { arg1, arg2, ... }; 
T& ref ( target );
T& ref { arg1, arg2, ... }; 

2. When a named rvalue reference variable is declared with an initializer

T&& ref = target ;
T&& ref = { arg1, arg2, ... }; 
T&& ref ( target );
T&& ref { arg1, arg2, ... }; 

3. In a function call expression, when the function parameter has reference type
4. In the return statement, when the function returns a reference type
5. When a non-static data member of reference type is initialized using a member initializer

• "If the initializer is a braced-init-list, rules of list initialization are followed."
• "Otherwise, if the reference (ref) is an lvalue reference: ..."
  • If target is an lvalue expression, and its type is T or derived from T, and is equally or less cv-qualified,
    • then the reference is bound to the object identified by the lvalue or to its base class subobject.
  • Otherwise, if the type of target is not same or derived from T, and target has conversion function to an lvalue whose type is either T or derived from T, equally or less cv-qualified,
    • then the reference is bound to the object identified by the lvalue returned by the conversion function (...)

Declaration vs Definition

• "separate compilation": split programs into several files, each of which can be compiled independently.
• To support separate compilation, C++ distinguishes between declarations and definitions.
  • A declaration makes a name known to the program. A file that wants to use a name defined elsewhere includes a declaration for that name.
  • A definition creates the associated entity.
• A variable declaration specifies the type and name of a variable.
• A variable definition is a declaration.
  • In addition to specifying the name and type, a definition also allocates storage and may provide the variable with an initial value.
• Variables must be defined exactly once but can be declared many times.
• To use the same variable in multiple files, we must define that variable in one - and only one - file. Other files that use that variable must declare - but not define - that variable

extern

1. To obtain a declaration that is not also a definition, we add the extern keyword and must not provide an explicit initializer.

• inside a function
  • it is an error to provide an initializer on an extern
• outside a function
  • we can initialize an extern, however, this overrides the extern. The extern becomes a definition in this case.

2. To prevent unnecessary template instantiations (see "Explicit Instantiation")

Static typing

• C++ is a statically typed language, which means that types are checked at compile time.
• The process by which types are checked is referred to as type checking.
• consequence of static typing: must declare the type of a variable before we can use that variable

this

like self in Python:

• stackoverflow, inside the class block self must be written explicitly each time, whereas this can be dropped
• stackoverflow, this->member = 4; equals (*this).member = 4; equals member = 4;

p.257-258: "Defining Member Functions", "Introducing this", "Introducing const Member Functions"

• member functions access the object on which they were called through an implicit parameter this
  • when a member function is called (eg. total.isbn()), this is initialized with the address of the object on which the function was invoked (like Sales_data::isbn(&total), where isbn() is defined as Sales_data::isbn(Sales_data *const this))
• the this parameter is defined implicitly. Thus, it is legal, although unnecessary, to define

struct Sales_data {
  ...
  std::string isbn() const { return bookNo; }
  ...
}

as

struct Sales_data {
  ...
  std::string isbn() const { return this->bookNo; }
  ...
}

Type of this:

• default:
  • "this is a const pointer to the nonconst version of the class type"
    • phth: eg. this is the "const pointer" Sales_data *const (it is not a "pointer to const" const Sales_data *const)
• in const member function blocks:
  • the keyword const that follows the parameter list modifies the type of the implicit this pointer:
    • A const following the parameter list indicates that this is a pointer to const (see pointer to const).

const objects

• may call only const member functions
• a const object does not assume its "constness" until after the constructor completes the object's initialization
• must be initialized

pointer to const

const double pi = 3.14;
double *ptr = π          // error: ptr is a plain pointer (see (2))
const double *cptr = π
*cptr = 42;                 // error: cannot assign to *cptr (see (1))

• (1) a pointer to const may not be used to change the object to which the pointer points
• (2) we may store the address of a const object only in a pointer to const
• we can use a pointer to const to point to a nonconst object (exception to rule: "types of a pointer and the object to which it points must match")
• a pointer to const says nothing about whether the object to which the pointer points is const (like a reference to const)
  • think of them as pointers or references "that think they point or refer to const"

const pointer

int errNumb = 0;
int *const curErr = &errNumb;   // curErr will always point to errNumb

• its value (i.e., the address that it holds) may not be changed
• The fact that a pointer is itself const says nothing about whether we can use the pointer to change the underlying object
• "unlike references, pointers are objects" → pointers can be const, references cannot

static

• stackoverflow

static members

• members that are associated with the class, rather than with individual objects of the class type
• basically, like any other member
  • can be public or private
  • type of a static data member can be const, reference, array, class type
  • etc ...
• unlike other members, static data members and member functions
  • exist outside any object
    • objects do not contain data associated with static data members
  • static members are shared by all the objects of the class type
• static member functions
  • useful for managing static member variables
  • do not have a this pointer
  • may not be declared as const

Declaration

class Account {
  public:
    void calculate() { amount += amount * interestRate; }
    static double rate() { return interestRate; }
    static void rate(double);
  private:
    std::string owner;
    double amount;
    static double interestRate;
    static double initRate();
};

Access a static member

• directly through the scope operator
• through an object, reference, or pointer of the class type

double r;
r = Account::rate();    // access a static member using the scope operator

Account ac1;
Account *ac2 = &ac1;
// equivalent ways to call the static member rate function
r = ac1.rate();     // through an Account object or reference
r = ac2->rate();    // through a pointer to an Account object

Definition

static member functions:

• do not repeat the "static" keyword outside the class body
• can use static members directly, without the scope operator

void Account::rate(double newRate)
{
  interestRate = newRate;
}

static data members:

• not defined when we create objects
• not initialized by the class' constructors
• must be
  • defined and initialized OUTSIDE the class body
  • declared, but NOT initialized inside the class body!
  • defined outside ANY function (like global variables)

double Account::interestRate = initRate();   // define and initialize a static class member
// Once the class name is seen, the remainder of the definition is in the scope of the class
// -> we can use "initRate" without qualification (even though it is private)

best practice:

• put the definition of static data members in the same file that contains the definitions of the class noninline member functions
  • avoids double definitions

in-class initialization:

• Usually you do not do this for static members, but
  • we can provide in-class initializers for static members that have const integral type
  • must do so for static members that are constexprs of literal type
    • the initializers must be constant expressions
    • such members are themselves constant expressions
  • important: if an initializer is provided inside the class, the member's definition must not specify an initial value:

// definition of a static member with no initializer
constexpr int Account::period; // initializer provided in the class definition

best practice:

• Even if a const static data member is initialized in the class body, that member ordinarily should be defined outside the class definition.

Usage

double r;
r = Account::rate();  // access a static member using the scope operator

Account ac1;
Account *ac2 = &ac1; 
// equivalent ways to call the static member rate function
r = ac1.rate();       // through an Account object or reference
r = ac2->rate();      // through a pointer to an Account object

class Account {
  public:
    // Member functions can use static members directly, without the scope operator
    void calculate() { amount += amount * interestRate; }
  private:
    static double interestRate;
    // remaining members as before
};

Can be used in ways that would be illegal for nonstatic members:

// static members can have incomplete types
class Bar {
  public:
    // ...
  private:
    static Bar mem1;  // ok: static member can have incomplete type
    Bar *mem2;        // ok: pointer member can have incomplete type
    // error:
    Bar mem3;         // error: data members must have complete type
 };

// static members can be used as a default argument
class Screen {
  public:
    // bkground refers to the static member
    // declared LATER in the class definition
    Screen& clear(char = bkground);
  private:
    static const char bkground;
};

Temporaries

• aka "temporary object"
• "Unnamed object created by the compiler while evaluating an expression." (Lippman)
  • "A temporary exists until the end of the largest expression that encloses the expression for which it was created."
• All temporary objects are destroyed as the last step in evaluating the full-expression that (lexically) contains the point where they were created, cppreference
  • and if multiple temporary objects were created, they are destroyed in the order opposite to the order of creation.
  • This is true even if that evaluation ends in throwing an exception.
  • phth: ie. in "expression statements" (where the "full-expression" is the outermost expression without the semicolon) temporaries are destroyed right before the outermost ";"

Created When ...

Examples when temporaries are created automatically by the compiler: cppreference

In Implicit Conversions

double dval = 3.14;
const int &ri = dval;

is translated by the compiler like

double dval = 3.14;
const int temp = dval;
const int &ri = temp;   // bind "ri" to the temporary "temp"

• This happens not only for type int temporaries but also for class type temporaries (given the class has a corresponding converting constructor)
  • see Sales_data::combine(const Sales_data &rhs) call on p.295, 7.5.4
    • a temporary of type const Sales_data &rhs is created from a string

Unnamed Temporaries

• unnamed temporaries are value initialized
  • cppreference "value initialization": "1,5) when a nameless temporary object is created with the initializer consisting of an empty pair of parentheses or braces (since C++11);"

Creating unnamed temporary objects, stackoverflow:

• the object is destroyed immediately after ";".
• memory is allocated (automatically, on the stack) for this temp object and it's freed (again automatically) after ";".
• the constructor and destructor are called, as expected.

// note: this does not explicitly call the constructor, instead this line creates a temporary unnamed object with type "Demo", which is destroyed immediately after ";"

#include<iostream.h>

class Demo
{
    public :

    Demo()
    {
        cout<<"\nIn Demo const";
    }
    ~Demo()
    {
        cout<<"\nin demo dest";
    }
};

void main() {
    Demo();
}

Lifetimes

From [basic.life]:

The lifetime of an object of type T begins when:

• storage with the proper alignment and size for type T is obtained, and
• its initialization (if any) is complete (including vacuous initialization), (...)

The lifetime of an object o of type T ends when:

• if T is a non-class type, the object is destroyed, or
• if T is a class type, the destructor call starts, or
• the storage which the object occupies is
  • released, or is
  • reused by an object that is not nested within o.

RAII

Resources are bound to the lifetime of an object in RAII

• "RAII is a C++ programming technique which binds the life cycle of a resource that must be acquired before use to the lifetime of an object." (cppreference)
  • eliminating "naked new" expressions

Examples

• Global objects:
  • allocated at program start-up and
  • destroyed when the program ends
• Local, automatic objects:
  • created and destroyed when the block in which they are defined is entered and exited
• Local static objects:
  • cppreference
  • allocated before their first use ("are initialized the first time control passes through their declaration")
  • and are destroyed when the program ends ("The destructor for a block-scope static variable is called at program exit, but only if the initialization took place successfully.")
• Dynamically allocated objects:
  • allocated at run time, ie. the program controls their lifetimes
  • they exist until they are explicitly freed
  • lifetime is independent of where they are created
• Temporaries:
  • "A temporary exists until the end of the largest expression that encloses the expression for which it was created." (Lippman)
    • phth: ie. gets destroyed before the ";"

Lifetimes vs Storage Duration

"Lifetime of an object is equal to or is nested within the lifetime of its storage, see storage duration.", cppreference: Lifetime

Storage Duration

All objects in a program have one of the following storage durations:

• automatic storage duration
  • The storage for the object is allocated at the beginning of the enclosing code block and deallocated at the end.
  • All local objects have this storage duration, except those declared static, extern or thread_local.
• dynamic storage duration
  • The storage for the object is allocated and deallocated upon request by using dynamic memory allocation functions.
• static storage duration
  • The storage for the object is allocated when the program begins and deallocated when the program ends.
  • Only one instance of the object exists.
  • All objects declared at namespace scope (including global namespace) have this storage duration, plus those declared with static or extern.
• thread storage duration (since C++11)
  • The storage for the object is allocated when the thread begins and deallocated when the thread ends.
  • Each thread has its own instance of the object.
  • Only objects declared thread_local have this storage duration.
  • thread_local can appear together with static or extern to adjust linkage.

The storage duration of subobjects and reference members is that of their complete object.

Storage Class Specifiers

The storage class specifiers are a part of the decl-specifier-seq of a name's declaration syntax. Together with the scope of the name, they control two independent properties of the name: its storage duration and its linkage.

• no specifier or auto (until C++11) - automatic storage duration.
• register (until C++17) - automatic storage duration. Also hints to the compiler to place the object in the processor's register. (deprecated)
• static - static or thread storage duration and internal linkage (or external linkage for static class members not in an anonymous namespace).
• extern - static or thread storage duration and external linkage.
• thread_local (since C++11) - thread storage duration.
• mutable - does not affect storage duration or linkage. See const/volatile for the explanation.

Only one storage class specifier may appear in a declaration (except that thread_local may be combined with static or with extern (since C++11)).

Anonymous Objects

• aka nameless temporary object

From anonymous objects:

• In C++, anonymous objects are primarily used either to pass or return values without having to create lots of temporary variables to do so.
  • can make the program shorter, cleaner, and generally easier to follow
• Memory allocated dynamically is also done so anonymously
  • (which is why its address must be assigned to a pointer, otherwise we'd have no way to refer to it).
• It is also worth noting that because anonymous objects have expression scope, they can only be used once (unless bound to a constant l-value reference, which will extend the lifetime of the temporary object to match the lifetime of the reference).
• If you need to reference a value in multiple expressions, you should use a named variable instead.

N3337: in [class.temporary]:

Example: Consider the following code:

class X {
  public:
    X(int);
    X(const X&);            // X has no move constructor
    X& operator=(const X&);
    ~X();
};
class Y {
  public:
    Y(int);
    Y(Y&&);                 // Y has no copy constructor
    ~Y();
};

X f(X);
Y g(Y);

void h() {
  X a(1);
  X b = f(X(2));    // pass X(2) to f() using copy constructor
  Y c = g(Y(3));    // pass Y(3) to g() using move constructor
  a = f(a);
}

• An implementation might use a temporary in which to construct X(2) before passing it to f() using X's copy constructor;
  • alternatively, X(2) might be constructed in the space used to hold the argument. ("copy elision")
• Likewise, an implementation might use a temporary in which to construct Y(3) before passing it to g() using Y's move constructor;
  • alternatively, Y(3) might be constructed in the space used to hold the argument. ("copy elision")
• Also, a temporary might be used to hold the result of f(X(2)) before copying it to b using X's copy constructor;
  • alternatively, f()’s result might be constructed in b. ("copy elision")
• Likewise, a temporary might be used to hold the result of g(Y(3)) before moving it to c using Y's move constructor;
  • alternatively, g()’s result might be constructed in c. ("copy elision")
• On the other hand, the expression a=f(a) requires a temporary for the result of f(a), which is then assigned to a.