Default initialization

This is the initialization performed when an object is constructed with no initializer.

Syntax

Explanation

Default initialization is performed in three situations:

The effects of default initialization are:

• if T is a (possibly cv-qualified) non-POD (until C++11) 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, no initialization is performed (see notes).

Default initialization of a const object

If a program calls for the default-initialization of an object of a const-qualified type T, T shall be a const-default-constructible class type or array thereof.

A class type T is const-default-constructible if default initialization of T would invoke a user-provided constructor of T (not inherited from a base class) (since C++11) or if.

each potentially constructed base class of T is const-default-constructible.

Read from an indeterminate byte

Use of an indeterminate value obtained by default-initializing a non-class variable of any type is undefined behavior (in particular, it may be a trap representation), except in the following cases:

• if an indeterminate value of type unsigned char or std::byte (since C++17) is assigned to another variable of type (possibly cv-qualified) unsigned char or std::byte (since C++17) (the value of the variable becomes indeterminate, but the behavior is not undefined);
• if an indeterminate value of type unsigned char or std::byte (since C++17) is used to initialize another variable of type (possibly cv-qualified) unsigned char or std::byte (since C++17);
• if an indeterminate value of type unsigned char or std::byte (since C++17) results from
• the second or third operand of a conditional expression,
• the right operand of the comma operator,
• the operand of a cast or conversion to (possibly cv-qualified) unsigned char or std::byte (since C++17),
• a discarded-value expression.

int f(bool b)
{
    int x;               // OK: the value of x is indeterminate
    int y = x;           // undefined behavior
    unsigned char c;     // OK: the value of c is indeterminate
    unsigned char d = c; // OK: the value of d is indeterminate
    int e = d;           // undefined behavior
    return b ? d : 0;    // undefined behavior if b is true
}

Notes

Default initialization of non-class variables with automatic and dynamic storage duration produces objects with indeterminate values (static and thread-local objects get zero initialized).

References and const scalar objects cannot be default-initialized.

Example

#include <string>
 
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)
}

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

See also

• converting constructor
• default constructor
• explicit
• initialization
  • aggregate initialization
  • constant initialization
  • copy initialization
  • direct initialization
  • list initialization
  • reference initialization
  • value initialization
  • zero initialization
• new