Document number:  P0575R1
Date:  2017-03-03
Project:  Programming Language C++
Reference:  ISO/IEC IS 14882:2014
Reply to:  William M. Miller
 Edison Design Group, Inc.
 wmm@edg.com


Core Language Working Group "ready" Issues for the February, 2017 (Kona) meeting


History:

Revision 1: Issue 1622 was removed because its resolution was modified since the pre-meeting mailing. Issue 2191 was removed because its resolution was already applied to the working paper as part of paper P0003R5.

Section references in this document reflect the section numbering of document WG21 N4606.


426. Identically-named variables, one internally and one externally linked, allowed?

Section: 3.5  [basic.link]     Status: ready     Submitter: Steve Adamczyk     Date: 2 July 2003

An example in 3.5 [basic.link] paragraph 6 creates two file-scope variables with the same name, one with internal linkage and one with external.

  static void f();
  static int i = 0;                       //1
  void g() {
          extern void f();                // internal linkage
          int i;                          //2: i has no linkage
          {
                  extern void f();        // internal linkage
                  extern int i;           //3: external linkage
          }
  }

Is this really what we want? C99 has 6.2.2.7/7, which gives undefined behavior for having an identifier appear with internal and external linkage in the same translation unit. C++ doesn't seem to have an equivalent.

Notes from October 2003 meeting:

We agree that this is an error. We propose to leave the example but change the comment to indicate that line //3 has undefined behavior, and elsewhere add a normative rule giving such a case undefined behavior.

Proposed resolution (October, 2005) [SUPERSEDED]:

Change 3.5 [basic.link] paragraph 6 as indicated:

...Otherwise, if no matching entity is found, the block scope entity receives external linkage. If, within a translation unit, the same entity is declared with both internal and external linkage, the behavior is undefined.

[Example:

    static void f();
    static int i = 0;            // 1
    void g () {
        extern void f ();        // internal linkage
        int i;                   // 2: i has no linkage
        {
            extern void f ();    // internal linkage
            extern int i;        // 3: external linkage
        }
    }

There are three objects named i in this program. The object with internal linkage introduced by the declaration in global scope (line //1 ), the object with automatic storage duration and no linkage introduced by the declaration on line //2, and the object with static storage duration and external linkage introduced by the declaration on line //3. Without the declaration at line //2, the declaration at line //3 would link with the declaration at line //1. But because the declaration with internal linkage is hidden, //3 is given external linkage, resulting in a linkage conflict.end example]

Notes from the April 2006 meeting:

According to 3.5 [basic.link] paragraph 9, the two variables with linkage in the proposed example are not “the same entity” because they do not have the same linkage. Some other formulation will be needed to describe the relationship between those two variables.

Notes from the October 2006 meeting:

The CWG decided that it would be better to make a program with this kind of linkage mismatch ill-formed instead of having undefined behavior.

Proposed resolution (November, 2016):

Change 3.5 [basic.link] paragraph 6 as follows:

...Otherwise, if no matching entity is found, the block scope entity receives external linkage. If, within a translation unit, the same entity is declared with both internal and external linkage, the program is ill-formed. [Example:

  static void f();
  static int i = 0;     // #1
  void g() {
    extern void f();    // internal linkage
    int i;              // #2: i has no linkage
    {
      extern void f();  // internal linkage
      extern int i;     // #3 external linkage, ill-formed
    }
  }

There are three objects named i in this program. The object with internal linkage introduced by the declaration in global scope (line #1 ), the object with automatic storage duration and no linkage introduced by the declaration on line #2, and the object with static storage duration and external linkage introduced by the declaration on line #3. Without the declaration at line #2, the declaration at line #3 would link with the declaration at line #1. Because the declaration with internal linkage is hidden, however, #3 is given external linkage, making the program ill-formed.end example]




727. In-class explicit specializations

Section: 14.7.3  [temp.expl.spec]     Status: ready     Submitter: Faisal Vali     Date: 5 October, 2008

14.7.3 [temp.expl.spec] paragraph 2 requires that explicit specializations of member templates be declared in namespace scope, not in the class definition. This restriction does not apply to partial specializations of member templates; that is,

    struct A {
      template<class T> struct B;
      template <class T> struct B<T*> { }; // well-formed
      template <> struct B<int*> { }; // ill-formed
    };

There does not seem to be a good reason for this inconsistency.

Additional note (October, 2013):

EWG has requested CWG to consider resolving this issue. See EWG issue 41.

Additional note, November, 2014:

See also paper N4090.

Proposed resolution (March, 2017):

  1. Change 14.5.5 [temp.class.spec] paragraph 5 as follows:

  2. A class template partial specialization may be declared or redeclared in any namespace scope in which the corresponding primary template may be defined (7.3.1.2 [namespace.memdef] and , 9.2 [class.mem], 14.5.2 [temp.mem]). [Example:

      template<class T> struct A {
        struct C {
          template<class T2> struct B { };
          template<class T2> struct B<T2**> { };  // partial specialization #1
        };
      };
    
      // partial specialization of A<T>::C::B<T2>
      template<class T> template<class T2>
        struct A<T>::C::B<T2*> { };    // #2
    
    
      A<short>::C::B<int*> absip; // uses partial specialization #2
    
    

    end example]

  3. Change 14.7.3 [temp.expl.spec] paragraph 2 as follows:

  4. An explicit specialization shall be declared in a namespace enclosing the specialized template. An explicit specialization whose declarator-id or class-head-name is not qualified shall be declared in the nearest enclosing namespace of the template, or, if the namespace is inline (7.3.1 [namespace.def]), any namespace from its enclosing namespace set. Such a declaration may also be a definition may be declared in any scope in which the corresponding primary template may be defined (7.3.1.2 [namespace.memdef], 9.2 [class.mem], 14.5.2 [temp.mem]). If the declaration is not a definition, the specialization may be defined later (7.3.1.2 [namespace.memdef]).



1677. Constant initialization via aggregate initialization

Section: 3.6.2  [basic.start.static]     Status: ready     Submitter: Daniel Krügler     Date: 2013-05-05

The resolution of issue 1489 added wording regarding value initialization to 3.6.2 [basic.start.static] paragraph 2 in an attempt to clarify the status of an example like

  int a[1000]{};

However, this example is aggregate initialization, not value initialization. Also, now that we allow brace-or-equal-initializers in aggregates, this wording also needs to be updated to allow an aggregate with constant non-static data member initializers to qualify for constant initialization.

Proposed resolution (November, 2017):

  1. Change 3.6.2 [basic.start.static] paragraph 2 as follows, converting the bulleted list into running text as indicated:

  2. A constant initializer for an a variable or temporary object o is an expression that initializer whose full-expression is a constant expression, except that it if o is an object, such an initializer may also invoke constexpr constructors for o and its subobjects even if those objects are of non-literal class types. [Note: Such a class may have a non-trivial destructor —end note] Constant initialization is performed:

    If constant initialization is not performed...

  3. Change 5.20 [expr.const] paragraph 2 as follows:

    A conditional-expression An expression e is a core constant expression unless...



1710. Missing template keyword in class-or-decltype

Section: 10  [class.derived]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2013-07-03

A class-or-decltype is used as a base-specifier and as a mem-initializer-id that names a base class. It is specified in 10 [class.derived] paragraph 1 as:

Consequently, a declaration like

  template<typename T> struct D : T::template B<int>::template C<int> {};

is ill-formed, although most implementations accept it; some actually require the use of the template keyword, although the relevant wording in 14.2 [temp.names] paragraph 4 only requires it in a qualified-id, not in a class-or-decltype. It would probably be good to add a production like

to the definition of class-or-decltype and explicitly mention those contexts in 14.2 [temp.names] as not requiring use of the template keyword.

Additional note (January, 2014):

This is effectively issues 314 and 343.

See also issue 1812.

Proposed resolution (February, 2014) [SUPERSEDED]:

  1. Change 9 [class] paragraph 3 as follows:

  2. If a class is marked with the class-virt-specifier final and it appears as a base-type-specifier class-or-decltype in a base-clause (Clause 10 [class.derived]), the program is ill-formed. Whenever a class-key is followed...
  3. Change the grammar in 10 [class.derived] paragraph 1 as follows:

  4. Delete paragraph 4 and change paragraph 5 of 14.2 [temp.names] as follows, splitting paragraph 5 into two paragraphs and moving the example from paragraph 4 into paragraph 5:

  5. When the name of a member template specialization appears after . or -> in a postfix-expression or after a nested-name-specifier in a qualified-id, and the object expression of the postfix-expression is type-dependent or the nested-name-specifier in the qualified-id refers to a dependent type, but the name is not a member of the current instantiation (14.6.2.1 [temp.dep.type]), the member template name must be prefixed by the keyword template. Otherwise the name is assumed to name a non-template. [Example: ... —end example]

    A name prefixed by the keyword template shall be a template-id or the name shall refer to a class template or alias template. [Note: The keyword template may not be applied to non-template members of class templates. —end note] The nested-name-specifier (_N4567_.5.1.1 [expr.prim.general]) of

    or a nested-name-specifier directly contained in such a nested-name-specifier (recursively), shall not be of the form

    [Note: That is, a simple-template-id shall not be prefixed by the keyword template in these cases. —end note]

    The keyword template is optional in a typename-specifier (14.6 [temp.res]), elaborated-type-specifier (7.1.7.3 [dcl.type.elab]), using-declaration (7.3.3 [namespace.udecl]), or class-or-decltype (Clause 10 [class.derived]), and in recursively directly-contained nested-name-specifiers thereof. In these contexts, a < token is always assumed to introduce a template-argument-list. [Note: Thus, if the preceding name is not a template-name, the program is ill-formed. —end note] In other contexts, when the name of a member template specialization appears after a nested-name-specifier that denotes a dependent type, but the name is not a member of the current instantiation, the member template name shall be prefixed by the keyword template. Similarly, when the name of a member template specialization appears after . or -> in a postfix-expression (5.2 [expr.post]) and the object expression of the postfix-expression is type-dependent, but the name is not a member of the current instantiation (14.6.2.1 [temp.dep.type]), the member template name shall be prefixed by the keyword template. Otherwise, the name is assumed to name a non-template. [Example:

        <From original paragraph 4>
    

    end example] [Note: As is the case with the typename prefix...

This resolution also resolves issues 314, 343, 1794, and 1812.

Additional note, November, 2014:

Concerns have been expressed over the clarity and organization of the proposed resolution, so the issue has been moved back to "review" status to allow CWG to address these concerns.

Proposed resolution, March, 2017:

  1. Change 9 [class] paragraph 3 as follows:

  2. If a class is marked with the class-virt-specifier final and it appears as a base-type-specifier class-or-decltype in a base-clause (Clause 10 [class.derived]), the program is ill-formed. Whenever a class-key is followed by a class-head-name...
  3. Change the grammar in 10 [class.derived] paragraph 1 as follows:

  4. Change 10 [class.derived] paragraph 2 as followx:

  5. The type denoted by a base-type-specifier A class-or-decltype shall be denote a class type that is not an incompletely defined class (Clause 9 [class]); this. The class denoted by the class-or-decltype of a base-specifier is called a direct base class for the class being defined. During the lookup for a base class name...
  6. Change 14.2 [temp.names] paragraphs 4 and 5 as follows:

  7. When the name of a member template specialization appears after . or -> in a postfix-expression or after a nested-name-specifier in a qualified-id, and the object expression of the postfix-expression is type-dependent or the nested-name-specifier in the qualified-id refers to a dependent type, but the name is not a member of the current instantiation The keyword template is said to appear at the top level in a qualified-id if it appears outside of a template-argument-list or decltype-specifier. In a qualified-id of a declarator-id or in a qualified-id formed by a class-head-name (Clause 9 [class]) or enum-head-name (7.2 [dcl.enum]), the keyword template shall not appear at the top level. In a qualified-id used as the name in a typename-specifier (14.6 [temp.res]), elaborated-type-specifier (7.1.7.3 [dcl.type.elab]), using-declaration (7.3.3 [namespace.udecl]), or class-or-decltype (Clause 10 [class.derived]), an optional keyword template appearing at the top level is ignored. In these contexts, a < token is always assumed to introduce a template-argument-list. In all other contexts, when naming a template specialization of a member of an unknown specialization (14.6.2.1 [temp.dep.type]), the member template name must shall be prefixed by the keyword template. Otherwise the name is assumed to name a non-template. [Example:...

    A name prefixed by the keyword template shall be a template-id or the name shall refer to a class template or an alias template. [Note: The keyword template may not be applied to non-template members of class templates. —end note]...

  8. Change 14.6 [temp.res] paragraph 5 as follows:

  9. A qualified name used as the name in a mem-initializer-id, a base-specifier, class-or-decltype (Clause 10 [class.derived]) or an elaborated-type-specifier is implicitly assumed to name a type, without the use of the typename keyword. In a nested-name-specifier that immediately contains a nested-name-specifier that depends on a template parameter, the identifier or simple-template-id is implicitly assumed to name a type, without the use of the typename keyword. [Note: The typename keyword is not permitted by the syntax of these constructs. —end note]



1860. What is a “direct member?”

Section: 9.3  [class.union]     Status: ready     Submitter: Dawn Perchik     Date: 2014-02-13

The term “direct member” is used in 9.3 [class.union] paragraph 8 but is not defined. It might be better to refer to the class's member-specification instead.

Additional note, October, 2015:

This issue is expected to be addressed by the wording of N4532 or a successor thereof (“Default Comparisons”).

Proposed resolution (November, 2016):

  1. Change 8.6.1 [dcl.init.aggr] paragraph 2 as follows:

  2. The elements of an aggregate are:

  3. Change 9.2 [class.mem] paragraph 1 as follows:

  4. The member-specification in a class definition declares the full set of members of the class; no member can be added elsewhere. A direct member of a class X is a member of X that was first declared within the member-specification of X, including anonymous union objects and direct members thereof. Members of a class are...
  5. Change 9.3.1 [class.union.anon] paragraph 1 as follows:

  6. A union of the form

    is called an anonymous union; it defines an unnamed type and an unnamed object of unnamed that type called an anonymous union object. Each member-declaration in the member-specification of an anonymous union

    ...



2174. Unclear rules for friend definitions in templates

Section: 14.5.4  [temp.friend]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2015-09-17

According to 14.5.4 [temp.friend] paragraph 4,

When a function is defined in a friend function declaration in a class template, the function is instantiated when the function is odr-used (3.2 [basic.def.odr]). The same restrictions on multiple declarations and definitions that apply to non-template function declarations and definitions also apply to these implicit definitions.

This seems to imply that:

  1. Instantiating a class template that contains a friend function definition instantiates the declaration, but not the definition, of that friend function, as usual (but see below).

  2. If the function is odr-used, a definition is instantiated for each such class template specialization whose template had a definition.

  3. If that results in multiple definitions, the program is ill-formed as usual.

The intent appears to be that the instantiated friend function declarations should be treated as if they were definitions, but that's not clear from the wording. This wording is also missing similar provisions for friend function template definitions; there is implementation divergence on the treatment of such cases.

There also does not appear to be wording that says that instantiating a class template specialization results in the instantiation of friend functions declared/defined therein (the relevant wording was removed from this section by issue 329). Presumably this should be covered in 14.7.1 [temp.inst] paragraph 1, which also includes the following wording that could be reused for the friend case:

However, for the purpose of determining whether an instantiated redeclaration of a member is valid according to 9.2 [class.mem], a declaration that corresponds to a definition in the template is considered to be a definition.

Also, the reliance on odr-use to trigger friend instantiation is out of date, as there are other contexts that can require an instantiation when there is no odr-use (a constexpr function invoked within an unevaluated operand).

Proposed resolution (October, 2015) [SUPERSEDED]:

  1. Delete 14.5.4 [temp.friend] paragraph 4:

  2. When a function is defined in a friend function declaration in a class template, the function is instantiated when the function is odr-used (3.2 [basic.def.odr]). The same restrictions on multiple declarations and definitions that apply to non-template function declarations and definitions also apply to these implicit definitions.
  3. Change 14.7.1 [temp.inst] paragraph 1 as follows:

  4. ...The implicit instantiation of a class template specialization causes the implicit instantiation of the declarations, but not of the definitions, default arguments, or exception-specifications of the class member functions, member classes, scoped member enumerations, static data members, and member templates, and friends; and it causes the implicit instantiation of the definitions of unscoped member enumerations and member anonymous unions. However, for the purpose of determining whether an instantiated redeclaration of a member is valid according to 3.2 [basic.def.odr] and 9.2 [class.mem], a declaration that corresponds to a definition in the template is considered to be a definition. [Example:...
  5. Change 14.7.1 [temp.inst] paragraph 3 as follows:

  6. Unless a function template specialization has been explicitly instantiated or explicitly specialized, the function template specialization is implicitly instantiated when the specialization is referenced in a context that requires a function definition to exist. A function whose declaration was instantiated from a friend function definition is implicitly instantiated when it is referenced in a context that requires a function definition to exist. Unless a call is to a function template explicit specialization or to a member function of an explicitly specialized class template, a default argument for a function template or a member function of a class template is implicitly instantiated when the function is called in a context that requires the value of the default argument.

Proposed resolution (November, 2016):

  1. Delete 14.5.4 [temp.friend] paragraph 4:

  2. When a function is defined in a friend function declaration in a class template, the function is instantiated when the function is odr-used (3.2 [basic.def.odr]). The same restrictions on multiple declarations and definitions that apply to non-template function declarations and definitions also apply to these implicit definitions.
  3. Change 14.7.1 [temp.inst] paragraph 1 as follows, splitting it into two paragraphs as indicated:

  4. ... [Note: Within a template declaration, a local class (9.4 [class.local]) or enumeration and the members of a local class are never considered to be entities that can be separately instantiated (this includes their default arguments, exception-specifications, and non-static data member initializers, if any). As a result, the dependent names are looked up, the semantic constraints are checked, and any templates used are instantiated as part of the instantiation of the entity within which the local class or enumeration is declared. —end note]

    The implicit instantiation of a class template specialization causes the implicit instantiation of the declarations, but not of the definitions, default arguments, or exception-specifications of the class member functions, member classes, scoped member enumerations, static data members, and member templates, and friends; and it causes the implicit instantiation of the definitions of unscoped member enumerations and member anonymous unions. However, for the purpose of determining whether an instantiated redeclaration of a member is valid according to 3.2 [basic.def.odr] and 9.2 [class.mem], a declaration that corresponds to a definition in the template is considered to be a definition. [Example:

      template<class T, class U>
      struct Outer {
        template<class X, class Y> struct Inner;
        template<class Y> struct Inner<T, Y>;     // #1a
        template<class Y> struct Inner<T, Y> { }; // #1b; OK: valid redeclaration of #1a
        template<class Y> struct Inner<U, Y> { }; // #2
      };
    
      Outer<int, int> outer; // error at #2
    

    Outer<int, int>::Inner<int, Y> is redeclared at #1b. (It is not defined but noted as being associated with a definition in Outer<T, U>.) #2 is also a redeclaration of #1a. It is noted as associated with a definition, so it is an invalid redeclaration of the same partial specialization.

      template<typename T> struct Friendly {
        template<typename U> friend int f(U) { return sizeof(T); }
      };
      Friendly<char> fc;
      Friendly<float> ff; // ill-formed: produces second definition of f(U)
    

    end example]

  5. Change 14.7.1 [temp.inst] paragraph 3 as follows:

    Unless a function template specialization has been explicitly instantiated or explicitly specialized, the function template specialization is implicitly instantiated when the specialization is referenced in a context that requires a function definition to exist. A function whose declaration was instantiated from a friend function definition is implicitly instantiated when it is referenced in a context that requires a function definition to exist. Unless a call is to a function template explicit specialization or to a member function of an explicitly specialized class template, a default argument for a function template or a member function of a class template is implicitly instantiated when the function is called in a context that requires the value of the default argument.



2196. Zero-initialization with virtual base classes

Section: 8.6  [dcl.init]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2015-11-06

[Detailed description pending.]

Proposed resolution (November, 2016):

Change 8.6 [dcl.init] bullet 6.2 as follows:

To zero-initialize an object or reference of type T means:




2198. Linkage of enumerators

Section: 3.5  [basic.link]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2015-11-12

According to the rules in 3.5 [basic.link] paragraph 4, the enumerators of an enumeration type with linkage also have linkage. Having same-named enumerators in different translation units would seem to be innocuous. Is there a rationale for this rule?

Proposed resolution (March, 2017):

  1. Delete 3.5 [basic.link] bullet 4.5:

  2. An unnamed namespace or a namespace declared directly or indirectly within an unnamed namespace has internal linkage. All other namespaces have external linkage. A name having namespace scope that has not been given internal linkage above has the same linkage as the enclosing namespace if it is the name of

  3. Change 3.5 [basic.link] paragraph 9 as follows:

  4. Two names that are the same (Clause 3 [basic]) and that are declared in different scopes shall denote the same variable, function, type, enumerator, template or namespace if...



2205. Restrictions on use of alignas

Section: 7.6.1  [dcl.attr.grammar]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2015-11-30

According to 7.6.1 [dcl.attr.grammar] paragraph 5, a program is ill-formed if an attribute appertains to an entity or statement to which it is not allowed to apply. Presumably an alignment-specifier should have the same restriction.

Proposed resolution (November, 2016):

Change 7.6.1 [dcl.attr.grammar] paragraph 5 as follows:

Each attribute-specifier-seq is said to appertain to some entity or statement, identified by the syntactic context where it appears (Clause 6 [stmt.stmt], Clause 7 [dcl.dcl], Clause 8 [dcl.decl]). If an attribute-specifier-seq that appertains to some entity or statement contains an attribute or alignment-specifier that is not allowed to apply to that entity or statement, the program is ill-formed. If an attribute-specifier-seq appertains to a friend declaration (11.3 [class.friend]), that declaration shall be a definition. No attribute-specifier-seq shall appertain to an explicit instantiation (14.7.2 [temp.explicit]).



2218. Ambiguity and namespace aliases

Section: 3.4  [basic.lookup]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2015-12-29

There is implementation divergence on the status of the following example:

  namespace A { namespace B { int x; } }
  namespace C { namespace B = A::B; }
  using namespace A;
  using namespace C;
  int x = B::x;

This should presumably be valid: the lookup of B finds A::B and C::B, but it is not ambiguous because they denote the same entity. A similar example with a using-declaration or alias-declaration seems to be universally accepted. Perhaps the lookup rules need to be clarified regarding the status of this example.

Proposed resolution (November, 2016):

Change 3.4 [basic.lookup] paragraph 1 as follows:

The name lookup rules apply uniformly to all names (including typedef-names (7.1.3 [dcl.typedef]), namespace-names (7.3 [basic.namespace]), and class-names (9.1 [class.name])) wherever the grammar allows such names in the context discussed by a particular rule. Name lookup associates the use of a name with a declaration set of declarations (3.1 [basic.def]) of that name. Name lookup shall find an unambiguous declaration for the name (see 10.2 [class.member.lookup]). Name lookup may associate more than one declaration with a name if it finds the name to be a function name; The declarations found by name lookup shall either all declare the same entity or shall all declare functions; in the latter case, the declarations are said to form a set of overloaded functions (13.1 [over.load]). Overload resolution...



2248. Problems with sized delete

Section: 5.3.5  [expr.delete]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2016-03-14

[Detailed description pending.]

Proposed resolution (December, 2016):

Change 5.3.5 [expr.delete] paragraph 11 as follows:

When a delete-expression is executed, the selected deallocation function shall be called with the address of the block of storage to be reclaimed most-derived object in the delete object case, or the address of the object suitably adjusted for the array allocation overhead (5.3.4 [expr.new]) in the delete array case, as its first argument. If a deallocation function with a parameter of type std::align_val_t is used, the alignment of the type of the object to be deleted is passed as the corresponding argument. If a deallocation function with a parameter of type std::size_t is used, the size of the block most-derived type, or of the array plus allocation overhead, respectively, is passed as the corresponding argument. [Note: If this results in a call to a usual deallocation function, and either the first argument was not the result of a prior call to a usual allocation function or the second argument was not the corresponding argument in said call, the behavior is undefined (18.6.2.1 [new.delete.single], 18.6.2.2 [new.delete.array]). —end note]



2251. Unreachable enumeration list-initialization

Section: 8.6.4  [dcl.init.list]     Status: ready     Submitter: Richard Smith     Date: 2016-03-22

[Detailed description pending.]

Proposed resolution (December, 2016):

Reorder the bullets in 8.6.4 [dcl.init.list] paragraph 3 as follows:

List-initialization of an object or reference of type T is defined as follows: