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.

2024-03-20


49. Restriction on non-type, non-value template arguments

Section: 13.2  [temp.param]     Status: TC1     Submitter: Mike Miller     Date: 16 Oct 1998

The example in 13.2 [temp.param] paragraph 8 is:

    template<int* a> struct R { /*...*/ };
    int* p;
    R<p> w;
There was a French comment was that this is an error, and there was general agreement with that.

I've been looking for the verbiage that specifies that this is an error and haven't found it. In particular, nothing in 13.2 [temp.param] ("Template parameters") nor 13.4.3 [temp.arg.nontype] ("Template non-type arguments") appears to rule out this case. (13.4.3 [temp.arg.nontype] paragraph 1 allows an argument to be "the name of an object or function with external linkage," with no limitation on the kinds of parameters such a name can match; "p" is, in fact, such a name.)

Should the resolution of the French comment include beefing up one or both of these sections to cover the applicable rules explicitly?

Proposed Resolution (04/99): Change the example in 13.2 [temp.param] paragraph 8 from:

    template<int *a> struct R { /* ... */ };
    template<int b[5]> struct S { /* ... */ };
    int *p;
    R<p> w; // OK
    S<p> x; // OK due to parameter adjustment
    int v[5];
    R<v> y; // OK due to implicit argument conversion
    S<v> z; // OK due to both adjustment and conversion
to:
    template<int *a> struct R { /* ... */ };
    template<int b[5]> struct S { /* ... */ };
    int p;
    R<&p> w; // OK
    S<&p> x; // OK due to parameter adjustment
    int v[5];
    R<v> y; // OK due to implicit argument conversion
    S<v> z; // OK due to both adjustment and conversion
Furthermore, in 13.4.3 [temp.arg.nontype] paragraph 1: