standards compliance - Is main() really start of a C++ program?

Question

The section $3.6.1/1 from the C++ Standard reads,

A program shall contain a global function called main, which is the designated start of the program.

Now consider this code,

int square(int i) { return i*i; }
int user_main()
{ 
    for ( int i = 0 ; i < 10 ; ++i )
           std::cout << square(i) << endl;
    return 0;
}
int main_ret= user_main();
int main() 
{
        return main_ret;
}

This sample code does what I intend it to do, i.e printing the square of integers from 0 to 9, before entering into the main() function which is supposed to be the "start" of the program.

I also compiled it with -pedantic option, GCC 4.5.0. It gives no error, not even warning!

So my question is,

Is this code really Standard conformant?

If it's standard conformant, then does it not invalidate what the Standard says? main() is not start of this program! user_main() executed before the main().

I understand that to initialize the global variable main_ret, the use_main() executes first but that is a different thing altogether; the point is that, it does invalidate the quoted statement $3.6.1/1 from the Standard, as main() is NOT the start of the program; it is in fact the end of this program!

---

EDIT:

How do you define the word 'start'?

It boils down to the definition of the phrase "start of the program". So how exactly do you define it?

Answer 1

You are reading the sentence incorrectly.

A program shall contain a global function called main, which is the designated start of the program.

The standard is DEFINING the word "start" for the purposes of the remainder of the standard. It doesn't say that no code executes before main is called. It says that the start of the program is considered to be at the function main.

Your program is compliant. Your program hasn't "started" until main is started. The constructor is called before your program "starts" according to the definition of "start" in the standard, but that hardly matters. A LOT of code is executed before main is ever called in every program, not just this example.

For the purposes of discussion, your constructor code is executed prior to the 'start' of the program, and that is fully compliant with the standard.