http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=50056
--- Comment #1 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2011-08-12 12:46:42 UTC --- Are you sure G++ isn't correct? The cast creates a temporary reference, which binds to the temporary object, then initalizes 's' with the temporary reference. That means the temporary object's lifetime is extended to the same lifetime as the reference, but the reference is temporary so is destroyed at the end of the full expression. call S::S() bind to temporary reference initialize s from temporary reference temporary reference goes out of scope call S::~S() call S::func() s goes out of scope if you do this: const S& s = S(); then you get the behaviour I assume you are expecting: call S::S() initialize s temporary object call S::func() s goes out of scope call S::~S()
