These are the punctuation symbols in C++. The meaning of each symbol is detailed in the linked pages.

Preprocessing operators

Preprocessing operators are recognized by preprocessors.

# (including %:)

• Introduce a preprocessing directive.
• The preprocessing operator for stringification.

##(including %:%:)

• The preprocessing operator for token pasting.

Single-character operators and punctuators

{ and } (including <% and %>)

• In a class definition, delimit the member specification.
• In an enumeration definition, delimit the enumerator list.
• Delimit a compound statement. The compound statement may be part of

• a function definition
• a try block

• Part of the aggregate initialization(until C++11)list-initialization(since C++11) syntax of an initializer.
• In a namespace definition, delimit the namespace body.
• In a language linkage specification, delimit the declarations.

[ and ] (including <: and :>)

• Subscript operator; part of operator[] in operator overloading.
• Part of array declarator in a declaration or a type-id (e.g. in a new expression).
• Part of new[] operator in operator overloading (allocation function).
• Part of delete[] operator in delete expression and operator overloading (deallocation function).

( and )

• In an expression, indicate grouping.
• Function call operator; part of operator() in operator overloading.
• In a function-style type cast, delimit the expression/initializers.
• In a static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, delimit the expression.
• Delimit the operand of the following operators:

• typeid
• sizeof

• In a placement new expression, delimit the placement arguments.
• In a new expression, optionally delimit the type-id.
• In a new expression, delimit the initializers.
• In a C-style cast, delimit the type-id.
• In a declaration or a type-id, indicate grouping.
• Delimit the parameter list in

• a function declarator (in a declaration or a type-id)

• Part of the direct-initialization syntax of an initializer.
• In an asm declaration, delimit the string literal.
• In a member initializer list, delimit the initializers to a base or member.
• Delimit the controlling clause of a selection statement or iteration statement, including:

• if (except consteval if)(since C++23)
• switch
• while
• do-while
• for

• In a handler, delimit the parameter declaration.
• In a function-like macro definition, delimit the macro parameters.
• In a function-like macro invocation, delimit the macro arguments or prevent commas from being interpreted as argument separators.
• Part of a defined, __has_include(since C++17), __has_cpp_attribute(since C++20) preprocessing operator.

;

• Indicate the end of

• a statement
• a declaration or member declaration

• Separate the condition and statement of a for statement.

:

• Part of conditional operator.
• Part of label declaration.
• In the base-clause of a class definition, introduce the base class.
• Part of access specifier in member specification.
• In a bit-field member declaration, introduce the width.
• In a constructor definition, introduce the member initializer list.

?

• Part of conditional operator.

.

• Member access operator.

~ (including compl)

• Unary complement operator (a.k.a. bitwise not operator); part of operator~ in operator overloading.
• Part of an identifier expression to name a destructor or pseudo-destructor.

! (including not)

• Logical not operator; part of operator! in operator overloading.

+

• Unary plus operator; part of operator+ in operator overloading.
• Binary plus operator; part of operator+ in operator overloading.

-

• Unary minus operator; part of operator- in operator overloading.
• Binary minus operator; part of operator- in operator overloading.

*

• Indirection operator; part of operator* in operator overloading.
• Multiplication operator; part of operator* in operator overloading.
• Pointer operator or part of pointer-to-member operator in a declarator or in a type-id.

/

• Division operator; part of operator/ in operator overloading.

%

• Modulo operator; part of operator% in operator overloading.

^ (including xor)

• Bitwise xor operator; part of operator^ in operator overloading.

& (including bitand)

• Address-of operator; part of operator& in operator overloading.
• Bitwise and operator; part of operator& in operator overloading.
• Lvalue-reference operator in a declarator or in a type-id.

| (including bitor)

• Bitwise or operator; part of operator| in operator overloading.

=

• Simple assignment operator; part of operator= in operator overloading, which might be a special member function (copy assignment operatoror move assignment operator(since C++11)).
• Part of the copy-initialization and aggregate initialization(until C++11)copy-list-initialization(since C++11) syntax of an initializer.
• In a function declaration, introduce a default argument.
• In a template parameter list, introduce a default template argument.
• In a namespace alias definition, separate the alias and the aliased namespace.
• In an enum definition, introduce the value of enumerator.
• Part of pure-specifier in a pure virtual function declaration.

<

• Less-than operator; part of operator< in operator overloading.
• In a static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, introduce the type-id.
• Introduce a template argument list.
• Introduce a template parameter list in

• a template declaration
• a partial specialization

• Part of template<> in template specialization declaration.
• Introduce a header name in

• a #include directive

>

• Greater-than operator; part of operator> in operator overloading.
• static_cast, const_cast, reinterpret_cast, or dynamic_cast, indicate the end of type-id.
• Indicate the end of a template argument list.
• Indicate the end of a template parameter list in

• a template declaration
• a partial specialization

• Part of template<> in template specialization declaration.
• Indicate the end of a header name in

• a #include directive

,

• Comma operator; part of operator, in operator overloading.
• List separator in

• the declarator list in a declaration
• initializer list in initialization
• the placement argument list in a placement new
• the argument list in a function call expression
• the enumerator list in an enum declaration
• the base class list in a class declaration
• the member initializer list in a constructor definition
• a function parameter list
• a template parameter list
• a template argument list

• the macro parameter list in a function-like macro definition
• the macro argument list in a function-like macro invocation, unless found between the parentheses of an argument

Multi-character operators and punctuators

...

• In the parameter list of a function declaratoror lambda expression(since C++11)or user-defined deduction guide(since C++17), signify a variadic function.
• In a handler, signify catch-all handler.

::

• Scope resolution operator in

• a qualified name
• a pointer-to-member declaration
• a new or delete expression, to indicate that only global allocation or deallocation functions are looked up

.*

• Pointer-to-member access operator.

->

• Member access operator; part of operator-> in operator overloading.

->*

• Pointer-to-member access operator; part of operator->* in operator overloading.

+=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator+= in operator overloading.

-=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator-= in operator overloading.

*=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator*= in operator overloading.

/=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator/= in operator overloading.

%=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator%= in operator overloading.

^= (including xor_eq)

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator^= in operator overloading.

&= (including and_eq)

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator&= in operator overloading.

|= (including or_eq)

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator|= in operator overloading.

==

• Equality operator; part of operator== in operator overloading.

!= (including not_eq)

• Inequality operator; part of operator!= in operator overloading.

<=

• Less-than-or-equal-to operator; part of operator<= in operator overloading.

>=

• Greater-than-or-equal-to operator; part of operator>= in operator overloading.

&& (including and)

• Logical and operator; part of operator&& in operator overloading.

|| (including or)

• Logical or operator; part of operator|| in operator overloading.

<<

• Bitwise shift operator; part of operator<< in operator overloading (bitwise operator or stream insertion operator).

>>

• Bitwise shift operator; part of operator>> in operator overloading (bitwise operator or stream extraction operator).

<<=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator<<= in operator overloading.

>>=

• Compound assignment operator; part of operator>>= in operator overloading.

++

• Increment operator; part of operator++ in operator overloading.

--

• Decrement operator; part of operator-- in operator overloading.

References

See also

Categories:

• Pages using deprecated source tags
• Pages using deprecated enclose attributes
• Pages with too many expensive parser function calls