This is an unofficial snapshot of the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22 WG21 Core Issues List revision 114a. See http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/ for the official list.

2024-04-18

480. Is a base of a virtual base also virtual?

[Voted into WP at the October, 2006 meeting.]

When the Standard refers to a virtual base class, it should be understood to include base classes of virtual bases. However, the Standard doesn't actually say this anywhere, so when 7.3.13 [conv.mem] (for example) forbids casting to a derived class member pointer from a virtual base class member pointer, it could be read as meaning:

  struct B {};
  struct D : public B {};
  struct D2 : virtual public D {};

  int B::*p;
  int D::*q;

  void f() {
    static_cast<int D2::*>(p);  // permitted
    static_cast<int D2::*>(q);  // forbidden
  }

Proposed resolution (October, 2005):

1. Change 7.3.13 [conv.mem] paragraph 2 as indicated:

...If B is an inaccessible (11.8 [class.access]), ambiguous (6.5.2 [class.member.lookup]) or virtual (11.7.2 [class.mi]) base class of D, or a base class of a virtual base class of D, a program that necessitates this conversion is ill-formed...

2. Change 7.6.1.9 [expr.static.cast] paragraph 2 as indicated:

...and B is not neither a virtual base class of D nor a base class of a virtual base class of D...

3. Change 7.6.1.9 [expr.static.cast] paragraph 9 as indicated:

...and B is not neither a virtual base class of D nor a base class of a virtual base class of D...