Calling constructor with braces

It is just C++11 syntax. You can initialize objects calling their constructor with curly braces. You just have to bear in mind that if the type has an initializer_list constructor, that one takes precedence.


It is neither initializer list, nor uniform initialization. What's the thing is this?

Your premise is wrong. It is uniform initialization and, in Standardese terms, direct-brace-initialization.

Unless a constructor accepting an std::initializer_list is present, using braces for constructing objects is equivalent to using parentheses.

The advantage of using braces is that the syntax is immune to the Most Vexing Parse problem:

struct Y { };

struct X
{
    X(Y) { }
};

// ...

X x1(Y()); // MVP: Declares a function called x1 which returns
           // a value of type X and accepts a function that
           // takes no argument and returns a value of type Y.

X x2{Y()}; // OK, constructs an object of type X called x2 and
           // provides a default-constructed temporary object 
           // of type Y in input to X's constructor.