14 Templates [temp]

14.6 Name resolution [temp.res]

14.6.4 Dependent name resolution [temp.dep.res]

In resolving dependent names, names from the following sources are considered:

  • Declarations that are visible at the point of definition of the template.

  • Declarations from namespaces associated with the types of the function arguments both from the instantiation context ([temp.point]) and from the definition context.

14.6.4.1 Point of instantiation [temp.point]

For a function template specialization, a member function template specialization, or a specialization for a member function or static data member of a class template, if the specialization is implicitly instantiated because it is referenced from within another template specialization and the context from which it is referenced depends on a template parameter, the point of instantiation of the specialization is the point of instantiation of the enclosing specialization. Otherwise, the point of instantiation for such a specialization immediately follows the namespace scope declaration or definition that refers to the specialization.

If a function template or member function of a class template is called in a way which uses the definition of a default argument of that function template or member function, the point of instantiation of the default argument is the point of instantiation of the function template or member function specialization.

For an exception-specification of a function template specialization or specialization of a member function of a class template, if the exception-specification is implicitly instantiated because it is needed by another template specialization and the context that requires it depends on a template parameter, the point of instantiation of the exception-specification is the point of instantiation of the specialization that requires it. Otherwise, the point of instantiation for such an exception-specification immediately follows the namespace scope declaration or definition that requires the exception-specification.

For a class template specialization, a class member template specialization, or a specialization for a class member of a class template, if the specialization is implicitly instantiated because it is referenced from within another template specialization, if the context from which the specialization is referenced depends on a template parameter, and if the specialization is not instantiated previous to the instantiation of the enclosing template, the point of instantiation is immediately before the point of instantiation of the enclosing template. Otherwise, the point of instantiation for such a specialization immediately precedes the namespace scope declaration or definition that refers to the specialization.

If a virtual function is implicitly instantiated, its point of instantiation is immediately following the point of instantiation of its enclosing class template specialization.

An explicit instantiation definition is an instantiation point for the specialization or specializations specified by the explicit instantiation.

The instantiation context of an expression that depends on the template arguments is the set of declarations with external linkage declared prior to the point of instantiation of the template specialization in the same translation unit.

A specialization for a function template, a member function template, or of a member function or static data member of a class template may have multiple points of instantiations within a translation unit, and in addition to the points of instantiation described above, for any such specialization that has a point of instantiation within the translation unit, the end of the translation unit is also considered a point of instantiation. A specialization for a class template has at most one point of instantiation within a translation unit. A specialization for any template may have points of instantiation in multiple translation units. If two different points of instantiation give a template specialization different meanings according to the one definition rule ([basic.def.odr]), the program is ill-formed, no diagnostic required.

14.6.4.2 Candidate functions [temp.dep.candidate]

For a function call where the postfix-expression is a dependent name, the candidate functions are found using the usual lookup rules ([basic.lookup.unqual], [basic.lookup.argdep]) except that:

  • For the part of the lookup using unqualified name lookup ([basic.lookup.unqual]), only function declarations from the template definition context are found.

  • For the part of the lookup using associated namespaces ([basic.lookup.argdep]), only function declarations found in either the template definition context or the template instantiation context are found.

If the call would be ill-formed or would find a better match had the lookup within the associated namespaces considered all the function declarations with external linkage introduced in those namespaces in all translation units, not just considering those declarations found in the template definition and template instantiation contexts, then the program has undefined behavior.