This is an unofficial snapshot of the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22 WG21 Core Issues List revision 115d. See http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/ for the official list.

2024-10-26

387. Errors in example in 14.6.5

[Voted into WP at March 2004 meeting.]

The example in _N4868_.13.8.6 [temp.inject] paragraph 2 is incorrect:

  template<typename T> class number {
      number(int);
      //...
      friend number gcd(number& x, number& y) { /* ... */ }
      //...
  };

  void g()
  {
      number<double> a(3), b(4);
      //...
      a = gcd(a,b);   // finds gcd because number<double> is an
                      // associated class, making gcd visible
                      // in its namespace (global scope)
      b = gcd(3,4);   // ill-formed; gcd is not visible
  }

Regardless of the last statement ("b = gcd(3,4);"), the above code is ill-formed:

a) number's constructor is private;

b) the definition of (non-void) friend 'gcd' function does not contain a return statement.

Proposed resolution (April 2003):

Replace the example in _N4868_.13.8.6 [temp.inject] paragraph 2

  template<typename T> class number {
          number(int);
          //...
          friend number gcd(number& x, number& y) { /* ... */ }
          //...
  };

  void g()
  {
          number<double> a(3), b(4);
          //...
          a = gcd(a,b);           //  finds  gcd  because  number<double>  is an
                                  //  associated class, making  gcd  visible
                                  //  in its namespace (global scope)
          b = gcd(3,4);           //  ill-formed;  gcd  is not visible
  }

  template<typename T> class number {
     public:
          number(int);
          //...
          friend number gcd(number x, number y) { return 0; }
     private:
          //...
  };

  void g()
  {
          number<double> a(3), b(4);
          //...
          a = gcd(a,b);           //  finds  gcd  because  number<double>  is an
                                  //  associated class, making  gcd  visible
                                  //  in its namespace (global scope)
          b = gcd(3,4);           //  ill-formed;  gcd  is not visible
  }

Drafting note: Added "return" to the friend function, removed references in gcd arguments, added access specifiers.