Why is returning a constructor allowed in operator overloading?

Question

Why is returning a constructor allowed in operator overloading?

Here is an example:

Complex Complex::operator*( const Complex &operand2 ) const
{
    double Real = (real * operand2.real)-(imaginary * operand2.imaginary);
    double Imaginary = ( real * operand2.imaginary)+(imaginary * operand2.real);

    return Complex ( Real, Imaginary );
}

It seems to be returning a constructor for the object and not the object itself? What is it returning there?

This seems to make more sense:

Complex Complex::operator*( const Complex &operand2 ) const
{
    double Real = (real * operand2.real)-(imaginary * operand2.imaginary);
    double Imaginary = ( real * operand2.imaginary)+(imaginary * operand2.real);

    Complex somenumber ( Real, Imaginary );

    return somenumber;
}

Answer 1

In C++ the syntax: Typename ( arguments ) means to create an unnamed object (aka. a temporary object) of type Typename ¹. The arguments are passed to the constructor of that object (or used as initializers for primitive types).

It is very similar in meaning to your second example:

Complex somenumber( Real, Imaginary);
return somenumber;

the only difference being that the object has a name.

There are some minor differences between the two versions relating to copying or moving the object back to the calling function. More info here

¹ Except when it's part of a function declaration