This is an unofficial snapshot of the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22 WG21 Core Issues List revision 113d. See http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/ for the official list.
2024-04-05
[Voted into WP at March, 2010 meeting as document N2993.]
There are a number of specifications in the Standard that should also apply to references. For example:
6.1 [basic.pre] paragraphs 3-4 indicate that a reference cannot have a name because it is not an entity. (See also issue 485.)
6.5.3 [basic.lookup.unqual] paragraph 13 covers unqualified lookup in the initializer of a variable member of a namespace but not that of a reference member of a namespace. It would be very strange if the lookup in these two cases were different.
6.6 [basic.link] paragraph 8 prohibits use of a type without linkage as the type of a variable with linkage, but not as the type of a reference with linkage. (References with linkage are explicitly mentioned earlier in the section.)
6.7.5.2 [basic.stc.static] paragraph 3 permits local static variables but not local static references.
A number of other examples could be cited. A thorough review is needed to make sure that references are completely specified.
Notes from the September, 2008 meeting:
The CWG expressed interest in an approach that would define “variable” to include both objects and references and to use that for both this issue and issue 570.
Proposed resolution (October, 2009):
See paper PL22.16/09-0183 = WG21 N2993. This resolution also resolves issue 570.