We need to decide which word we want to use here. I've asked CWG for opinions.

Conclusion from committee discussion: use "designates" to describe the relationship between a pointer-to-member value &M::x and the member M::x.

In T M::*, consider calling T the "member type" of the pointer-to-member type (adding a suitable definition) if necessary.

Some specific examples for the case of referring to the member type:

• Add a sentence "The type T is the member type of the pointer-to-member type." To near the end of [dcl.mptr]p1.

• "the function type to which a pointer to member refers" in [dcl.fct]p6 would become "the member type of a pointer to member type"

• "For a call to a non-static member function, the postfix expression shall be [...] a pointer-to-member expression selecting a function member" could be just "For a call to a non-static member function, the postfix expression shall be [...] a pointer-to-member expression of function type".

@zygoloid Alright, I went ahead and applied the changes. In addition to this, I restructured [expr.mptr.oper] to more closely follow the layout of [expr.ref], and condensed the wording (we had requirements placed on operands all over the place, and it appears that there was an attempt to make the subclause more like [expr.ref], but it was never fully completed)

Just noticed that we have no normative wording that says the mutable specifier is ignored by pointer to member operators. Should we add that to this PR?

"mutable" is not part of the pointer-to-member type, so why would the pointer-to-member operators care?

mutable isn't part of the members type either, it's a property of the declaration. Since the cv-qualification of the pointer to member expression is the same as that of an equivalent class member access expression, the "mutability" of the designed member is still considered.

For clarity, could you please show an example?

For clarity, could you please show an example?

struct S
{
  mutable int a;
};

void f()
{
  const S obj;
  auto mem = &S::a;
  obj.*mem = 10;
  // type of obj is const S
  // type of mem is int S::*
  // given a hypothetical class member access expression obj.id where id names the same
  // member mem designates (a), the const qualifier would be removed from the point-to-member 
  // expression because it would also be removed in the corresponding class member access
  // expression as a is declared mutable ([expr.ref] p6.2)
}