[expr.pre]

# 7 Expressions [[expr]](./#expr)

## 7.1 Preamble [expr.pre]

[1](#1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/expressions.tex#L18)

[*Note [1](#note-1)*:

[[expr]](expr "7 Expressions") defines the syntax, order of evaluation, and meaning
of expressions[.](#1.sentence-1)[39](#footnote-39 "The precedence of operators is not directly specified, but it can be derived from the syntax.")

An expression is a sequence of operators and operands that specifies a
computation[.](#1.sentence-2)

An expression can result in a value and can cause side
effects[.](#1.sentence-3)

â *end note*]

[2](#2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/expressions.tex#L32)

[*Note [2](#note-2)*:

Operators can be overloaded, that is, given meaning when applied to
expressions of <class> type or[enumeration](dcl.enum "9.8.1 Enumeration declarations [dcl.enum]") type[.](#2.sentence-1)

Uses of overloaded operators are transformed into
function calls as described in [[over.oper]](over.oper "12.4 Overloaded operators")[.](#2.sentence-2)

Overloaded operators
obey the rules for syntax and evaluation order specified in [[expr.compound]](expr.compound "7.6 Compound expressions"),
but the requirements of operand type and value category are replaced
by the rules for function call[.](#2.sentence-3)

Relations between operators, such as++a meaning a += 1, are not guaranteed for [overloaded
operators](over.oper "12.4 Overloaded operators [over.oper]")[.](#2.sentence-4)

â *end note*]

[3](#3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/expressions.tex#L46)

Subclause [[expr.compound]](expr.compound "7.6 Compound expressions") defines the effects of operators when applied to types
for which they have not been overloaded[.](#3.sentence-1)

Operator overloading shall not
modify the rules for the [*built-in operators*](#def:operators,built-in "7.1 Preamble [expr.pre]"),
that is, for operators applied to types for which they are defined by this
Standard[.](#3.sentence-2)

However, these built-in operators participate in overload
resolution, and as part of that process user-defined conversions will be
considered where necessary to convert the operands to types appropriate
for the built-in operator[.](#3.sentence-3)

If a built-in operator is selected, such
conversions will be applied to the operands before the operation is
considered further according to the rules in [[expr.compound]](expr.compound "7.6 Compound expressions");
see [[over.match.oper]](over.match.oper "12.2.2.3 Operators in expressions"), [[over.built]](over.built "12.5 Built-in operators")[.](#3.sentence-4)

[4](#4)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/expressions.tex#L59)

If during the evaluation of an expression, the result is not
mathematically defined or not in the range of representable values for
its type, the behavior is undefined[.](#4.sentence-1)

[*Note [3](#note-3)*:

Treatment of division by zero, forming a remainder using a zero divisor,
and all floating-point exceptions varies among machines, and is sometimes
adjustable by a library function[.](#4.sentence-2)

â *end note*]

[5](#5)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/expressions.tex#L75)

[*Note [4](#note-4)*:

The implementation can regroup operators according to
the usual mathematical rules only
where the operators really are associative or commutative[.](#5.sentence-1)[40](#footnote-40 "Overloaded operators are never assumed to be associative or commutative.")

For example, in the following fragmentint a, b;/* ... */ a = a + 32760 + b + 5; the expression statement behaves exactly the same asa = (((a + 32760) + b) + 5); due to the associativity and precedence of these operators[.](#5.sentence-2)

Thus, the
result of the sum (a + 32760) is next added to b, and
that result is then added to 5 which results in the value assigned toa[.](#5.sentence-3)

On a machine in which overflows produce an exception and in
which the range of values representable by an int is
[-32768, +32767], the implementation cannot rewrite this
expression asa = ((a + b) + 32765); since if the values for a and b were, respectively,â32754 and â15, the sum a + b would produce an exception while
the original expression would not; nor can the expression be rewritten
as eithera = ((a + 32765) + b); ora = (a + (b + 32765)); since the values for a and b might have been,
respectively, 4 and â8 or â17 and 12[.](#5.sentence-4)

However on a machine in which
overflows do not produce an exception and in which the results of
overflows are reversible, the above expression statement can be
rewritten by the implementation in any of the above ways because the
same result will occur[.](#5.sentence-5)

â *end note*]

[6](#6)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/expressions.tex#L125)

The values of the floating-point operands and
the results of floating-point expressions
may be represented in greater precision and range than that
required by the type; the types are not changed
thereby[.](#6.sentence-1)[41](#footnote-41 "The cast and assignment operators must still perform their specific conversions as described in [expr.type.conv], [expr.cast], [expr.static.cast] and [expr.assign].")

[39)](#footnote-39)[39)](#footnoteref-39)

The precedence of operators is not directly specified, but it can be
derived from the syntax[.](#footnote-39.sentence-1)

[40)](#footnote-40)[40)](#footnoteref-40)

Overloaded
operators are never assumed to be associative or commutative[.](#footnote-40.sentence-1)

[41)](#footnote-41)[41)](#footnoteref-41)

The cast and assignment operators must still perform their specific
conversions as described in [[expr.type.conv]](expr.type.conv "7.6.1.4 Explicit type conversion (functional notation)"), [[expr.cast]](expr.cast "7.6.3 Explicit type conversion (cast notation)"),[[expr.static.cast]](expr.static.cast "7.6.1.9 Static cast") and [[expr.assign]](expr.assign "7.6.19 Assignment and compound assignment operators")[.](#footnote-41.sentence-1)
