operator-function-id ::= operator op-symbol | 
    operator op-symbol < [template-arg-list] >
conversion-function-id ::= operator conversion-type-id
conversion-type-id ::= type-specifier-seq [conversion-declarator]
conversion-declarator ::= ptr-operator [conversion-declarator]
ptr-operator ::= * [cv-qualifier-seq] | & | [::] nested-name :: * [cv-qualifier-seq]

The operator keyword converts an operator symbol into function notation. You can use the operator keyword when invoking an operator or when overloading an operator.

Example

int x = operator+(10, 32);
complex<double> c, d;
c.operator+=(d);
operator+=(c, d); // Same as above
bigint operator*(const bigint& a, const bigint* b);

Table 12-1 lists the operator symbols (op-symbol) that can be overloaded. Alternative tokens (shown in parentheses) are interchangeable with their symbolic equivalents.

Table 12-1. Operator symbols that can be overloaded

delete	/	=	%=	<<=	++
delete [ ]	%	<	^= (xor_eq)	==	--
new	^ (xor)	>	&= (and_eq)	!= (not_eq)	,
new [ ]	& (bitand)	+=	|= (or_eq)	<=	->*
+	| (bitor)	-=	<<	>=	->
-	~ (compl)	*=	>>	&& (and)	( )
*	! (not)	/=	>>=	|| (or)	[ ]

See Also

expression, identifier, template, type, Chapter 5