Punctuation

These are the punctuation symbols in C++. The meaning of each symbol is detailed in the linked pages.

{ }

• In a class/struct or union definition, delimit the member specification.
• In an enum definition, delimit the enumerator list.
• Delimit a compound statement. The compound statement may be part of
• a function definition
• a try block or catch clause
• a function-try-block
• a lambda expression (since C++11)
• In initialization, delimit the initializers. This kind of initialization is called list-initialization. (since C++11)
• In a namespace definition, delimit the namespace body.
• In a language linkage specification, delimit the declarations.
• In a requires-expression, delimit the requirements. (since C++20)
• In a compound requirement, delimit the expression. (since C++20)
• In an export declaration, delimit the declarations. (since C++20)

[ ]

• Subscript operator; part of operator[] in operator overloading.
• Part of array declarator in a declaration or a type-id (e.g. in a new expression).
• Part of new[] operator in operator overloading (allocation function).
• Part of delete[] operator in delete expression and operator overloading (deallocation function).
• In a lambda expression, delimit the captures. (since C++11)
• In an attribute specifier, delimit the attributes. (since C++11)
• In a structured binding declaration, delimit the identifier list. (since C++17)

#

• Introduce a preprocessing directive.
• The preprocessing operator for stringification.

##

• The preprocessing operator for token pasting.

( )

• In an expression, indicate grouping.
• Function call operator; part of operator() in operator overloading.
• In a function-style type cast, delimit the expression/initializers.
• In a static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, delimit the expression.
• In a typeid, sizeof, sizeof..., alignof, or noexcept (since C++11) expression, delimit the operand.
• In a placement new expression, delimit the placement arguments.
• In a new expression, optionally delimit the type-id.
• In a new expression, delimit the initializers.
• In a C-style cast, delimit the type-id.
• In a declaration or a type-id, indicate grouping.
• Delimit the parameter list in
• a function declarator (in a declaration or a type-id)
• a lambda expression (since C++11)
• a user-defined deduction guide (since C++17)
• a requires-expression (since C++20)
• In direct-initialization, delimit the initializers.
• In an asm declaration, delimit the string literal.
• In a member initializer list, delimit the initializers to a base or member.
• In an if (including constexpr if) (since C++17), switch, while, do-while, or for(including range-based for) (since C++11) statement, delimit the controlling clause.
• In a catch clause, delimit the parameter declaration.
• In a function-like macro definition, delimit the macro parameters.
• In a function-like macro invocation, delimit the macro arguments or prevent commas from being interpreted as argument separators.
• Part of a defined, __has_include (since C++17), __has_cpp_attribute (since C++20) preprocessing operator.
• In a static_assert declaration, delimit the operands. (since C++11)
• In a decltype specifier, noexcept specifier, alignas specifier, conditional explicit specifier (since C++20), delimit the operand. (since C++11)
• In an attribute, delimit the attribute arguments. (since C++11)
• Part of decltype(auto) specifier. (since C++14)
• Delimit a fold expression. (since C++17)
• Part of __VA_OPT__ replacement in a variadic macro definition. (since C++20)

;

• Indicate the end of
• a statement (including the init-statement of a for statement)
• a declaration or member declaration
• a module declaration, import declaration, global module fragment introducer, or private module fragment introducer (since C++20)
• a requirement (since C++20)
• Separate the second and third clauses of a for statement.

:

• Part of conditional operator.
• Part of label declaration.
• In the class-head of a class definition, introduce the base-clause.
• Part of access specifier in member specification.
• In a bit-field member declaration, introduce the width.
• In a constructor definition, introduce the member initializer list.
• In a range-based for statement, separate the range-declaration and the range-initializer. (since C++11)
• Introduce an enum base, which specifies the underlying type of the enum. (since C++11)
• In an attribute specifier, separate the attribute-using-prefix and the attribute list. (since C++17)
• In a module declaration or import declaration of module partition, introduce the module partition name. (since C++20)
• Part of a private module fragment introducer (module :private;). (since C++20)

...

• In the parameter list of a function declaratoror lambda expression (since C++11)or user-defined deduction guide (since C++17), signify a variadic function.
• In a catch-clause, signify catch-all handler.
• In a macro definition, signify a variadic macro. (since C++11)
• Indicate pack declaration and expansion. (since C++11)

?

• Part of conditional operator.

::

• Scope resolution operator in
• a qualified name
• a pointer-to-member declaration
• a new or delete expression, to indicate that only global allocation or deallocation functions are looked up
• In an attribute, indicate attribute scope. (since C++11)
• Part of nested namespace definition. (since C++17)

.

• Member access operator.
• In aggregate initialization, introduce a designator. (since C++20)
• Part of module name or module partition name. (since C++20)

.*

• Pointer-to-member access operator.

->

• Member access operator; part of operator-> in operator overloading.
• In a function declarator or lambda expression, introduce the trailing return type. (since C++11)
• In a user-defined deduction guide, introduce the result type. (since C++17)
• In a compound requirement, introduce the return type requirement. (since C++20)

->*

• Pointer-to-member access operator; part of operator->* in operator overloading.

~

• Unary complement operator (a.k.a. bitwise not operator); part of operator~ in operator overloading.
• Part of an id-expression to name a destructor or pseudo-destructor.

!

• Logical not operator; part of operator! in operator overloading.
• Part of reversed variant of a consteval if statement. (since C++23)

+

• Unary plus operator; part of operator+ in operator overloading.
• Binary plus operator; part of operator+ in operator overloading.

-

• Unary minus operator; part of operator- in operator overloading.
• Binary minus operator; part of operator- in operator overloading.

*

• Indirection operator; part of operator* in operator overloading.
• Multiplication operator; part of operator* in operator overloading.
• Pointer operator or part of pointer-to-member operator in a declarator or in a type-id.
• Part of *this in a lambda capture list, to capture the current object by copy. (since C++17)

/

• Division operator; part of operator/ in operator overloading.

%

• Modulo operator; part of operator% in operator overloading.

^

• Bitwise xor operator; part of operator^ in operator overloading.

&

• Address-of operator; part of operator& in operator overloading.
• Bitwise and operator; part of operator& in operator overloading.
• Lvalue-reference operator in a declarator or in a type-id.
• In a lambda capture, indicate by-reference capture. (since C++11)
• Ref-qualifier in member function declaration. (since C++11)

|

• Bitwise or operator; part of operator| in operator overloading.

=

• Simple assignment operator; part of operator= in operator overloading, which might be a special member function (copy assignment operatoror move assignment operator (since C++11)).
• In initialization, indicate copy-initializationor copy-list-initialization (since C++11).
• In a function declaration, introduce a default argument.
• In a template parameter list, introduce a default template argument.
• In a namespace alias definition, separate the alias and the aliased namespace.
• In an enum definition, introduce the value of enumerator.
• Part of pure-specifier in a pure virtual function declaration.
• Capture default in lambda capture, to indicate by-copy capture. (since C++11)
• Part of defaulted definition (=default;) or deleted definition (=delete;) in function definition. (since C++11)
• In a type alias declaration, separate the alias and the aliased type. (since C++11)
• In a concept definition, separate the concept name and the constraint expression. (since C++20)

+=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator+= in operator overloading.

-=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator-= in operator overloading.

*=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator*= in operator overloading.

/=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator/= in operator overloading.

%=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator%= in operator overloading.

^=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator^= in operator overloading.

&=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator&= in operator overloading.

|=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator|= in operator overloading.

==

• Equality operator; part of operator== in operator overloading.

!=

• Inequality operator; part of operator!= in operator overloading.

<

• Less-than operator; part of operator< in operator overloading.
• In a static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, introduce the type-id.
• Introduce a template argument list.
• Introduce a template parameter list in
• a template declaration
• a partial specialization
• a lambda expression (since C++20)
• Part of template<> in template specialization declaration.
• Introduce a header name in
• a #include directive
• a __has_include preprocessing expression (since C++17)
• an import declaration (since C++20)

>

• Greater-than operator; part of operator> in operator overloading.
• static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, indicate the end of type-id.
• Indicate the end of a template argument list.
• Indicate the end of a template parameter list in
• a template declaration
• a partial specialization
• a lambda expression (since C++20)
• Part of template<> in template specialization declaration.
• Indicate the end of a header name in
• a #include directive
• a __has_include preprocessing expression (since C++17)
• an import declaration (since C++20)

<=

• Less-than-or-equal-to operator; part of operator<= in operator overloading.

>=

• Greater-than-or-equal-to operator; part of operator>= in operator overloading.

<=> (since C++20)

• Three-way comparison (spaceship) operator; part of operator<=> in operator overloading.

&&

• Logical and operator; part of operator&& in operator overloading.
• Rvalue-reference operator in a declarator or in a type-id. (since C++11)
• Ref-qualifier in member function declaration. (since C++11)

||

• Logical or operator; part of operator|| in operator overloading.

<<

• Bitwise shift operator; part of operator<< in operator overloading (bitwise operator or stream insertion operator).

>>

• Bitwise shift operator; part of operator>> in operator overloading (bitwise operator or stream extraction operator).
• Can be reparsed as two > in a static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, a template argument list, or a template parameter list. (since C++11)

<<=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator<<= in operator overloading.

>>=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator>>= in operator overloading.

++

• Increment operator; part of operator++ in operator overloading.

--

• Decrement operator; part of operator-- in operator overloading.

,

• Comma operator; part of operator, in operator overloading.
• List separator in
• the declarator list in a declaration
• initializer list in initialization
• the placement argument list in a placement new
• the argument list in a function call expression
• the argument list in a multi-argument subscript expression (since C++23)
• the enumerator list in an enum declaration
• the base class list in a class declaration
• the member initializer list in a constructor definition
• a function parameter list
• a template parameter list
• a template argument list
• the macro parameter list in a function-like macro definition
• the macro argument list in a function-like macro invocation, unless found between an inner set of parentheses
• a lambda capture list (since C++11)
• an attribute list (since C++11)
• the declarator list in a using-declaration (since C++17)
• the identifier list in a structured binding declaration (since C++17)
• In a static_assert declaration, separate the arguments. (since C++11)

References

• C++23 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2023):
• 5.12 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]
• C++20 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2020):
• 5.12 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]
• C++17 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2017):
• 5.12 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]
• C++14 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2014):
• 2.13 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]
• C++11 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2011):
• 2.13 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]
• C++03 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:2003):
• 2.12 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]
• C++98 standard (ISO/IEC 14882:1998):
• 2.12 Operators and punctuators [lex.operators]

See also

Alternative representations	alternative spellings for certain operators
C documentation for Punctuation