Why is const char INITIAL='G' not an assignment statement?

Question

I am having problems in understanding this statement. I don't know why this is not usual like others.

related/dupe: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4470553/initialization-parenthesis-vs-equals-sign — NathanOliver, Feb 14 '17 at 15:55
With the edit, the question no longer makes sense. "in understanding this statement." Which statement? You haven't included it. — Borgleader, Feb 14 '17 at 16:02
http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/copy_initialization — 0x5453, Feb 14 '17 at 16:02
@Borgleader Ive mentioned the statement in the question. My edit removed a sentence which I thought might drive the topic some other way. — beachgreatsquaremoon, Feb 14 '17 at 16:06
@Borgleader i thought the bold letters would make some sense to you. — beachgreatsquaremoon, Feb 14 '17 at 16:08
C and C++ are very different languages and should not be tagged at the same time except in special cases — phuclv, Feb 14 '17 at 16:11
@LưuVĩnhPhúc i tagged to bring more people in to help in my doubt thats it. And yes i got my answer. By the way why am I getting downvoted for this question? — beachgreatsquaremoon, Feb 14 '17 at 16:13
@KuharanBhowmik Tags are not for _bringing more people into help_, but to narrow the relation of your question. C and C++ are different languages as mentioned, and there are rare cases where answers will be the same for both of them. — πάντα ῥεῖ, Feb 14 '17 at 16:16
Possible duplicate of [initialization: parenthesis vs. equals sign](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4470553/initialization-parenthesis-vs-equals-sign) — seva titov, Feb 14 '17 at 16:18
@LưuVĩnhPhúc so what do you think the proper tag should be. Ps I am new here — beachgreatsquaremoon, Feb 14 '17 at 16:24
The proper tag should be whichever language you're asking about. Being new here doesn't make a difference — Lightness Races in Orbit, Feb 14 '17 at 16:27

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 14 '17 at 16:27

5

Assignment means giving a new value to an already existing object. Even though const char INITIAL='G'; has an = sign, it is not an assignment, because it is creating a new object, not modifying an existing one. char INITIAL; INITIAL='G'; would be an assignment, because INITIAL already exists when the new value is, well, assigned.

answered Feb 14 '17 at 16:27

Pete Becker

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thanks for this :) – beachgreatsquaremoon Feb 14 '17 at 16:30
const char INITIAL='G' Here this statement actually creates INITIAL variable and then puts G into it. So in a way that variable is already existing. Just a thought. – beachgreatsquaremoon Feb 14 '17 at 16:52

Why is const char INITIAL='G' not an assignment statement?

1 Answers1