Assigning an object to C++ array

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I'm examining the following code in C++:


#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

class Person{
    public:
    int age;
    Person(int age){
        this->age = age;
    }
};

int main()
{
    Person a = Person(2);
    Person temp[] = {a};
    temp[0].age = 5;
    cout << temp[0].age;
    return 0;
}

So my guess is that when one assigns an object to a slot of an array in C++, that is equivalent to copying that object into the array.

Thus when we change that element in the array, it won't affect the original object. Is that correct?

aggregate-initialization variable-assignment initialization c++11 c++
1 Answers

Person temp[] = {a}; is not assignment, but initialization (aggregate initialization):

Each direct public base, (since C++17) array element, or non-static class member, in order of array subscript/appearance in the class definition, is copy-initialized from the corresponding clause of the initializer list.

So temp is initialized as containing 1 element, which is copy-initialized from a via Person's copy constructor.

And

when we change that element in the array, it will not affect the original object. Is that correct?

Yes.

BTW: temp[0] = a; is assignment; temp[0] is copy-assigned from a via Person's copy assignment operator.

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