C++ - Weird code output

Question

This code :

class A {
public:
    int _a;
    A():_a(0) { cout << "A default - ctor, ";}
    A(int i):_a(i) { cout << "A int - ctor, ";}
    operator int() { cout << "A int - operator, "; return 33;}
    virtual ~A() { cout << "A dtor, ";}
};
int main() {
    A* a = new A(99);
    cout << *a << endl;
    return 0;
}

I expected the output to be : A int-operator, A int-ctor, 33

but the true output is : A int-ctor, A int-operator, 33

Answer 1

First you call "new A(99)" , which invokes "A(int i)" , which prints "A int - ctor, " .

The following line calls "cout << *a" , which invokes "operator int()" , which prints "A int - operator, " .

Then the line complete with the "cout << [result] << endl" , which prints the result (33) and a newline.

So "A int - ctor, " + "A int - operator, " + "33" + "endl" is "A int - ctor, A int - operator, 33" .