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C++ Fundamentals for Professionals

Move Semantics

Explore the concept of move semantics in C++ and how it differs from copy semantics. Understand how std::move works as a static cast to an rvalue reference and how STL containers implement move constructors and assignment operators. Learn the priority of move semantics over copy semantics and how to define move constructors and assignment operators for user-defined data types. This lesson helps you grasp resource management strategies to write efficient C++ code.

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Containers of the STL can have non-movable elements. The copy semantic is the fallback for the move semantic.

Let’s learn more about the move semantic.

std::move

The function std::move moves its resource.

  • Needs the header <utility>.
  • Converts the type of its argument into a rvalue reference.
  • The compiler applies the move semantic to the rvalue reference.
  • Is a static_cast to a rvalue reference under the hood.
static_cast<std::remove_reference<decltype(arg)>::type&&>(arg);
  • What is happening here?
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