Sequential copy and move assignments

What this C++ copy and move semantics question tests

This is a medium-difficulty C++ language question that probes your understanding of how copy constructors, move constructors, copy assignment operators, and move assignment operators interact in a sequence of operations. It's a common screening question at firms that rely on high-performance C++ codebases, where subtle misunderstandings of object lifecycle can lead to bugs or unexpected behaviour.

Working through problems like this requires you to trace the exact sequence of assignments and moves, understand when each operator is invoked, and predict the final state of objects and their members. The question rewards careful attention to lvalue vs. rvalue contexts, temporary object lifetimes, and the order of operations in compound expressions.

• Copy construction vs. copy assignment
• Move construction vs. move assignment
• Temporary object lifetime and reference binding
• Operator overload resolution based on value category