https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=105838
--- Comment #12 from Jason Merrill <jason at gcc dot gnu.org> --- Another significant part of the problem is that vector<string> doesn't have a generic initializer_list constructor. Adding template <typename __elt> _GLIBCXX20_CONSTEXPR vector(initializer_list<__elt> __l, const allocator_type& __a = allocator_type()) : _Base(__a) { _M_range_initialize(__l.begin(), __l.end(), random_access_iterator_tag()); } so that it can construct from initializer_list<const char *> makes the construction into a simple loop over a static array. Users can do this optimization manually by writing e.g. auto init = { "aahing", "aaliis", "aarrgh", "abacas", "abacus", "abakas", "abamps", "abands", "abased", "abaser", "abases", "abasia", }; const std::vector<std::string> lst (init.begin(), init.end()); and so using the (template) iterator constructor instead of the (non-template) initializer_list constructor. But that shouldn't be necessary. Jonathan, has anyone suggested adding generic init_list constructors to the container classes? What do you think about doing the above translation in the compiler? Is the compiler allowed to do that?