[...]

Yep that's why i'm doing it

As a pedagogical exercise it's an interesting question, but don't use it. If you have to ask on a forum what it does the next person that sees your code (or yourself in a few months) might not know, either. Not worth it, just to save 1 line of code.

As a pedagogical exercise it's an interesting question, but don't use it. If you have to ask on a forum what it does the next person that sees your code (or yourself in a few months) might not know, either. Not worth it, just to save 1 line of code.

Exactly. This will not make the code run faster. It even won't make the code more readable (quite the opposite), so why bother?

I personaly would definitely put the a = b part on a separate row and maybe also add a short comment why am I requesting another copy of the pointer (or use such a name that would suggest it clearly).

What about when you're doing something like this:

ShaderParameter* ParameterManager::CreateFloat(const std::string& Name)
{
      ShaderParameter* pParam = mParameters[Name];


     if (!pParam)
     {
          mParameters[Name] = pParam = new FloatParameter;
     }


     return pParam;
}

What are you gaining over just having two separate assignment expressions?

pParam = new FloatParameter;
mParameters[Name] = pParam;

Trying to be clever when it comes to coding is rarely a benefit over being clear. The difference is purely in the information you convey to the programmer; the compiler couldn't care less. Your code does not have to be clear because it benefits the compiler, it has to be clear because YOU, the programmer, has to read the code.

Also, I didn't realize it was that unclear to read...

Then why did you create this thread? ;-)

You weren't sure how it works, that's IMHO a good proof that it isn't clear to read (at least for you and as it's your code...).

There's also the type casting taking place:

T a = b = (T)new c();
mParameters[Name] = pParam = (ShaderParameter)new FloatParameter;

...or however it should be done.

I think it would be clearer to have the cast or temporary identified on a separate line.