In append to JaredPar answer
1-usual ctor, 2nd-function-like-ctor with temporary object.
Compile this source somewhere here http://melpon.org/wandbox/ with different compilers
// turn off rvo for clang, gcc with '-fno-elide-constructors'
#include <stdio.h>
class Thing {
public:
Thing(const char*){puts(__FUNCTION__ );}
Thing(const Thing&){puts(__FUNCTION__ );}
~Thing(){puts(__FUNCTION__);}
};
int main(int /*argc*/, const char** /*argv*/) {
Thing myThing = Thing("asdf");
}
And you will see the result.
From ISO/IEC 14882 2003-10-15
8.5, part 12
Your 1st,2nd construction are called direct-initialization
12.1, part 13
A functional notation type conversion (5.2.3) can be used to create
new objects of its type. [Note: The syntax looks like an explicit call
of the constructor. ] ... An object created in this way is unnamed.
[Note: 12.2 describes the lifetime of temporary objects. ] [Note:
explicit constructor calls do not yield lvalues, see 3.10. ]
Where to read about RVO:
12 Special member functions / 12.8 Copying class objects/ Part 15
When certain criteria are met, an implementation is allowed to omit
the copy construction of a class object, even if the copy constructor
and/or destructor for the object have side effects.
Turn off it with compiler flag from comment to view such copy-behavior)