Re: Isn't this a conversion bug in gcc?

From:
Nikolay Ivchenkov <tsoae@mail.ru>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:18:35 CST
Message-ID:
<6076df24-a07d-4259-a2b3-ae9fe9106628@r27g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>
On 30 Jul, 19:18, Daniel Kr?gler <daniel.krueg...@googlemail.com>
wrote:

Even though B<int>::f is not required to exist in any general program


Did you mean "_a definition of_ B<int>::f is not required to exist"?

it is required to exist in this particular program, because it is
still used
in the sense of the *general* requirements specified in 3.2/2:

"An expression is potentially evaluated unless it is an unevaluated
operand (Clause 5) or a subexpression thereof. A variable or non-
overloaded function whose name appears as a potentially-evaluated
expression is used unless it is an object that satisfies the
requirements for appearing in a constant expression (5.19)
and the lvalue-to-rvalue conversion (4.1) is immediately applied.[..]"

The example invokes the constructor of B as part of a potentially
evaluated expression. Note that the refining sentence:

"A virtual member function is used if it is not pure."

does not declare a pure virtual function as *unused*, it only declares
*any* non-pure virtual function as *used*.


I can't accept this explanation. Lets consider more simple example:

    struct AbstractBase
    {
        virtual void f() = 0;
    };

    struct Derived : AbstractBase
    {
        void f() { /*...*/ }
    };

    void g(AbstractBase &x)
    {
        x.f();
    }

    int main()
    {
        Derived d;
        g(d);
    }

If the function AbstractBase::f is used, we shall apply 3.2/3:

"Every program shall contain exactly one definition of every non-
inline function or object that is used in that
program; no diagnostic required."

So, the program above would be ill-formed and in general undefined
pure virtual functions would be almost useless? Then the wording

"A pure virtual function need be defined only if explicitly called
with the qualified-id syntax (5.1)." (10.4/2)

is wrong?

This is a big difference,
because it does not make the former requirements invalid.


In any case the specification is bad.

I can point out another issue:

    namespace N
    {
        struct A {};
        void f(A, int) { /*...*/ }
    }

    void f(N::A, long) { /*...*/ }

    int main()
    {
        f(N::A(), 0);
    }

Are functions N::f and ::f overloaded? No? Then which functions are
used according to literal interpretation of 3.2/2? Both? :-)

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