Move assignment operator
A move assignment operator is a C++ special member function that replaces an existing object's state by transferring resources from another object.
100 C++ Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
A move assignment operator is a C++ special member function that transfers resources from a source object into an already existing target object.
- How it is used
- Uses ownership transfer to avoid copying resources when assigning into an existing object.
- How deep it goes
- Explains target cleanup, resource transfer, source neutralization, self-assignment, and compiler-generation caveats.
- Examples
- Uses Page and InputReader examples with raw pointers, dynamic arrays, nullptr resets, and defaulted move members.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by transferring resources, cleaning the target, and leaving the source safely neutralized.
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Learn C++ by Example
A move assignment operator is a class member function that replaces an object's state by transferring resources from another object, typically an rvalue.
- How it is used
- Uses move assignment to reason about special-member behavior, resource management, and move-enabled library operations.
- How deep it goes
- Defines its special-member role and tests availability with type traits, but stops short of implementing a resource-owning operator.
- Examples
- Uses vector `push_back`, an abstract `Blob`, and `std::is_move_assignable_v` assertions as concrete examples.
- What you can do after
- Evaluate whether a class supports move assignment and predict when library code falls back to copying.
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Related concepts
- moveimplements · Move semantics describe the transfer of a value or its resources to another binding or object rather than duplicating them.
- copy assignment operatorcontrasts with · A copy assignment operator is a C++ special member function that copies state from one object into an already existing object of a compatible type.
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