[ fromfile: types.xml id: typecast ]

Explicit conversions are called casts. Casting is sometimes necessary but it tends to be overused and can be a major source of errors. Bjarne Stroupstrup, the creator of C++, is on record recommending that they be used as little as possible.

Because of its roots in the C language, C++ supports the old-style (unsafe) C-style casting

(type)expr

For example:

      double d=3.14;
      int i = (int)d;
  

C++ also supports an alternative constructor-style syntax for casts:

Type t = Type(arglist) 

A cast causes a temporary value of the specified type to be created and pushed onto the program stack. If Type is a class, a temporary object is created and initialized by the appropriate conversion constructor. If Type is a native type, Type(arg) is equivalent to (Type)arg . The temporary is kept on the stack just long enough to evaluate the expression it is in. After that, it is destroyed.

For example:

        double d = 3.14;
        Complex c = Complex(d);