initialization in c++

Default initialization

struct T1 { int mem; };
 
struct T2
{
    int mem;
    T2() { } // "mem" is not in the initializer list
};
 
int n; // static non-class, a two-phase initialization is done:
       // 1) zero initialization initializes n to zero
       // 2) default initialization does nothing, leaving n being zero
 
int main()
{
    int n;            // non-class, the value is indeterminate
    std::string s;    // class, calls default ctor, the value is "" (empty string)
    std::string a[2]; // array, default-initializes the elements, the value is {"", ""}
//  int& r;           // error: a reference
//  const int n;      // error: a const non-class
//  const T1 t1;      // error: const class with implicit default ctor
    T1 t1;            // class, calls implicit default ctor
    const T2 t2;      // const class, calls the user-provided default ctor
                      // t2.mem is default-initialized (to indeterminate value)
}

Value initialization

T()
new T ()
Class::Class() : member() {  }
T object {};
T{}
new T {}
Class::Class() : member{} {  }

struct T1
{
    int mem1;
    std::string mem2;
}; // implicit default constructor
 
struct T2
{
    int mem1;
    std::string mem2;
    T2(const T2&) { } // user-provided copy constructor
};                    // no default constructor
 
struct T3
{
    int mem1;
    std::string mem2;
    T3() { } // user-provided default constructor
};
 
std::string s{}; // class => default-initialization, the value is ""
 
int main()
{
    int n{};                // scalar => zero-initialization, the value is 0
    double f = double();    // scalar => zero-initialization, the value is 0.0
    int* a = new int[10](); // array => value-initialization of each element
                            //          the value of each element is 0
    T1 t1{};                // class with implicit default constructor =>
                            //     t1.mem1 is zero-initialized, the value is 0
                            //     t1.mem2 is default-initialized, the value is ""
//  T2 t2{};                // error: class with no default constructor
    T3 t3{};                // class with user-provided default constructor =>
                            //     t3.mem1 is default-initialized to indeterminate value
                            //     t3.mem2 is default-initialized, the value is ""
    std::vector<int> v(3);  // value-initialization of each element
                            // the value of each element is 0
    std::cout << s.size() << ' ' << n << ' ' << f << ' ' << a[9] << ' ' << v[2] << '\n';
    std::cout << t1.mem1 << ' ' << t3.mem1 << '\n';
    delete[] a;
}

Direct initialization

T object arg );
T object arg1, arg2, … );
T object arg };
T other )
T arg1, arg2, … )
static_cast< T >( other )
new T(args, …)
Class::Class() : member(args, …) {  }
[arg](){  }
struct B {
  int a;
  int&& r;
};
 
int f();
int n = 10;
 
B b1{1, f()};               // OK, lifetime is extended
B b2(1, f());               // well-formed, but dangling reference
B b3{1.0, 1};               // error: narrowing conversion
B b4(1.0, 1);               // well-formed, but dangling reference
B b5(1.0, std::move(n));    // OK
struct M { };
struct L { L(M&); };
 
M n;
void f() {
    M(m); // declaration, equivalent to M m;
    L(n); // ill-formed declaration
    L(l)(m); // still a declaration
}

Copy initialization

T object = other;
T object = {other;
f(other)
return other;
throw object;catch (T object)
T array[N] = {other};
struct A 
{
  operator int() { return 12;}
};
 
struct B 
{
  B(int) {}
};
 
int main()
{
    std::string s = "test"; // OK: constructor is non-explicit
    std::string s2 = std::move(s); // this copy-initialization performs a move
 
//  std::unique_ptr<int> p = new int(1); // error: constructor is explicit
    std::unique_ptr<int> p(new int(1)); // OK: direct-initialization
 
 
    int n = 3.14;    // floating-integral conversion
    const int b = n; // const doesn't matter
    int c = b;       // ...either way
 
 
    A a;
    B b0 = 12;
//    B b1 = a; //< error: conversion from 'A' to non-scalar type 'B' requested
    B b2{a};        // < identical, calling A::operator int(), then B::B(int)
    B b3 = {a};     // <
    auto b4 = B{a}; // <
 
//    b0 = a; //< error, assignment operator overload needed 
}

Aggregate initialization

T object = {arg1, arg2, …};
T object {arg1, arg2, …};
T object = { .designator = arg1 , .designator { arg2 } … };
T object { .designator = arg1 , .designator { arg2 } … };
T object (arg1, arg2, …);
struct A { int x; int y; int z; };
A a{.y = 2, .x = 1}; // error; designator order does not match declaration order
A b{.x = 1, .z = 2}; // ok, b.y initialized to 0
union u { int a; const char* b; };
u f = { .b = "asdf" };         // OK, active member of the union is b
u g = { .a = 1, .b = "asdf" }; // Error, only one initializer may be provided
struct A { int x, y; };
struct B { struct A a; };
struct A a = {.y = 1, .x = 2}; // valid C, invalid C++ (out of order)
int arr[3] = {[1] = 5};        // valid C, invalid C++ (array)
struct B b = {.a.x = 0};       // valid C, invalid C++ (nested)
struct A a = {.x = 1, 2};      // valid C, invalid C++ (mixed)
char a[] = "abc";
// equivalent to char a[4] = {'a', 'b', 'c', '\0'};
 
//  unsigned char b[3] = "abc"; // Error: initializer string too long
unsigned char b[5]{"abc"};
// equivalent to unsigned char b[5] = {'a', 'b', 'c', '\0', '\0'};
 
wchar_t c[] = {L"кошка"}; // optional braces
// equivalent to wchar_t c[6] = {L'к', L'о', L'ш', L'к', L'а', L'\0'};
struct S {
    int x;
    struct Foo {
        int i;
        int j;
        int a[3];
    } b;
};
 
union U {
    int a;
    const char* b;
};
 
int main()
{
    S s1 = { 1, { 2, 3, {4, 5, 6} } };
    S s2 = { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}; // same, but with brace elision
    S s3{1, {2, 3, {4, 5, 6} } }; // same, using direct-list-initialization syntax
    S s4{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}; // error in C++11: brace-elision only allowed with equals sign
                            // okay in C++14
 
    int ar[] = {1,2,3}; // ar is int[3]
    int ab[] (1, 2, 3); // (C++20) ab is int[3] 
//  char cr[3] = {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd'}; // too many initializer clauses
    char cr[3] = {'a'}; // array initialized as {'a', '\0', '\0'}
 
    int ar2d1[2][2] = {{1, 2}, {3, 4}}; // fully-braced 2D array: {1, 2}
                                        //                        {3, 4}
    int ar2d2[2][2] = {1, 2, 3, 4}; // brace elision: {1, 2}
                                    //                {3, 4}
    int ar2d3[2][2] = {{1}, {2}};   // only first column: {1, 0}
                                    //                    {2, 0}
 
    std::array<int, 3> std_ar2{ {1,2,3} };    // std::array is an aggregate
    std::array<int, 3> std_ar1 = {1, 2, 3}; // brace-elision okay
 
    int ai[] = { 1, 2.0 }; // narrowing conversion from double to int:
                           // error in C++11, okay in C++03
 
    std::string ars[] = {std::string("one"), // copy-initialization
                         "two",              // conversion, then copy-initialization
                         {'t', 'h', 'r', 'e', 'e'} }; // list-initialization
 
    U u1 = {1}; // OK, first member of the union
//    U u2 = { 0, "asdf" }; // error: too many initializers for union
//    U u3 = { "asdf" }; // error: invalid conversion to int
 
}
 
// aggregate
struct base1 { int b1, b2 = 42; };
// non-aggregate
struct base2 {
  base2() : b3(42) {}
  int b3;
};
// aggregate in C++17
struct derived : base1, base2 { int d; };
derived d1{ {1, 2}, { }, 4}; // d1.b1 = 1, d1.b2 = 2,  d1.b3 = 42, d1.d = 4
derived d2{ {    }, { }, 4}; // d2.b1 = 0, d2.b2 = 42, d2.b3 = 42, d2.d = 4

List initialization

struct X {
    X() = default;
    X(const X&) = default;
};
 
struct Q {
    Q() = default;
    Q(Q const&) = default;
    Q(std::initializer_list<Q>) {}
};
 
int main() {
  X x;
  X x2 = X { x }; // copy-constructor (not aggregate initialization)
  Q q;
  Q q2 = Q { q }; // initializer-list constructor (not copy constructor)
}

Reference initialization

T & ref = object ;
T & ref = arg1, arg2, … };
T & ref ( object ) ;
T & ref arg1, arg2, … } ;
T && ref = object ;
T && ref = arg1, arg2, … };
T && ref ( object ) ;
T && ref { arg1, arg2, … } ;
given R fn ( T & arg ); 
or R fn ( T && arg );
fn ( object )fn ( { arg1, arg2, … } )
inside T & fn () or T && fn ()return object ;
given T & ref ; or T && ref ; inside the definition of Class Class::Class(…) : ref( object) {…}
struct S {
    int mi;
    const std::pair<int, int>& mp; // reference member
};
 
void foo(int) {}
 
struct A {};
 
struct B : A {
    int n;
    operator int&() { return n; }
};
 
B bar() { return B(); }
 
//int& bad_r;      // error: no initializer
extern int& ext_r; // OK
 
int main() {
//  Lvalues
    int n = 1;
    int& r1 = n;                    // lvalue reference to the object n
    const int& cr(n);               // reference can be more cv-qualified
    volatile int& cv{n};            // any initializer syntax can be used
    int& r2 = r1;                   // another lvalue reference to the object n
//  int& bad = cr;                  // error: less cv-qualified
    int& r3 = const_cast<int&>(cr); // const_cast is needed
 
    void (&rf)(int) = foo; // lvalue reference to function
    int ar[3];
    int (&ra)[3] = ar;     // lvalue reference to array
 
    B b;
    A& base_ref = b;        // reference to base subobject
    int& converted_ref = b; // reference to the result of a conversion
 
//  Rvalues
//  int& bad = 1;        // error: cannot bind lvalue ref to rvalue
    const int& cref = 1; // bound to rvalue
    int&& rref = 1;      // bound to rvalue
 
    const A& cref2 = bar(); // reference to A subobject of B temporary
    A&& rref2 = bar();      // same
 
    int&& xref = static_cast<int&&>(n); // bind directly to n
//  int&& copy_ref = n;                 // error: can't bind to an lvalue
    double&& copy_ref = n;              // bind to an rvalue temporary with value 1.0
 
//  Restrictions on temporary lifetimes
    std::ostream& buf_ref = std::ostringstream() << 'a'; // the ostringstream temporary
                      // was bound to the left operand of operator<<
                      // but its lifetime ended at the semicolon
                      // so buf_ref is a dangling reference
 
    S a {1, {2, 3} };         // temporary pair {2, 3} bound to the reference member
                              // a.mp and its lifetime is extended to match a
    S* p = new S{1, {2, 3} }; // temporary pair {2, 3} bound to the reference
                              // member p->mp, but its lifetime ended at the semicolon
                              // p->mp is a dangling reference
    delete p;
}

examples

struct A{
    A(int i){

    }
};
struct B{
    B(A a){

    }
};
struct C{
    C(B b){

    }
};
int main(int argc,char* argv[]){
    B b=(A)5;
    B bb(5);
    C c((A)5);
    return 0;
}