int : =

What this C++ syntax and semantics question tests

This is a medium-difficulty question that probes your understanding of C++ language fundamentals, particularly how declarations, initialisation, and operator overloading interact. It's the kind of question firms ask to verify that you can read unfamiliar or subtly-written code without making assumptions.

To answer correctly, you need to parse the syntax carefully, understand what each operator and keyword does in context, and reason about type deduction and initialisation rules. The question rewards precision: a small detail in how C++ interprets the statement can significantly change the result. Interviewers use these questions to filter for candidates who have moved beyond pattern-matching and can actually reason from first principles about language semantics.

• Declaration vs. expression syntax
• Initialisation semantics and copy vs. direct initialisation
• Operator precedence and associativity