Do Built-In Types in C Have Constructors?

Do Built-In Types Have Constructors?

When a temporary int is value-initialized to 0, is it because int() calls the default constructor? This is a common misconception, as built-in types do not have constructors.

Value Initialization vs. Default Constructor

Value initialization, a relatively recent concept, initializes a temporary object with a value that is appropriate for its type. For built-in types, this value is 0 for integers.

TC PL's Statement

Section 10.4.2 of TC PL states that built-in types also have default constructors. However, this statement is arguably incorrect in the context of C 98 and C 03.

Bjarne Stroustrup's Clarification

When contacted personally, Bjarne Stroustrup clarified that he considers built-in types to have constructors in a conceptual sense, despite their lack of actual constructor calls. This conceptualization is based on their constructor-like behavior, such as the initialization of values.

Conclusion

Technically, built-in types do not have constructors. However, the syntax used to initialize them (e.g., int{5}, int{}) is identical to that of constructors. Therefore, for practical purposes, it is reasonable to think of built-in types as having default constructors that initialize their values appropriately during value initialization.

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