Well, without diving into the reference manual, it looks like you have two evaluations: A left-side evaluation (helper->offsetName) which returns a reference to the "offsetName" dereference of address of m_buffer A right-side evaluation (helper.Append("MyName")) which may change the value of m_buffer. I believe the choice of which to evaluate first is arbitrary (compiler-dependent). That means that the "helper->" operation will return m_buffer either before or after the evaluation of the right-hand side. Since the evaluation of the rhs can change m_buffer, if the lhs is evaluated first, the code will fail.

Hopelessly pedantic since 1963.

If I recall the justification from K&R, it was because assignment (=) was used far more often than equality (==), therefore assignment should be smaller. Remember, it *was* 1970.

Hopelessly pedantic since 1963.