5 Expressions [expr]

5.1 Primary expressions [expr.prim]

5.1.4 Names [expr.prim.id]

id-expression:
    unqualified-id
    qualified-id

An id-expression is a restricted form of a primary-expression. [ Note: An id-expression can appear after . and -> operators ([expr.ref]).  — end note ]

An id-expression that denotes a non-static data member or non-static member function of a class can only be used:

  • as part of a class member access ([expr.ref]) in which the object expression refers to the member's class65 or a class derived from that class, or

  • to form a pointer to member ([expr.unary.op]), or

  • if that id-expression denotes a non-static data member and it appears in an unevaluated operand. [ Example:

    struct S {
      int m;
    };
    int i = sizeof(S::m);           // OK
    int j = sizeof(S::m + 42);      // OK
    

     — end example ]

This also applies when the object expression is an implicit (*this) ([class.mfct.non-static]).

5.1.4.1 Unqualified names [expr.prim.id.unqual]

unqualified-id:
    identifier
    operator-function-id
    conversion-function-id
    literal-operator-id
    ~ class-name
    ~ decltype-specifier
    template-id

An identifier is an id-expression provided it has been suitably declared (Clause [dcl.dcl]). [ Note: For operator-function-ids, see [over.oper]; for conversion-function-ids, see [class.conv.fct]; for literal-operator-ids, see [over.literal]; for template-ids, see [temp.names]. A class-name or decltype-specifier prefixed by ~ denotes a destructor; see [class.dtor]. Within the definition of a non-static member function, an identifier that names a non-static member is transformed to a class member access expression ([class.mfct.non-static]).  — end note ] The type of the expression is the type of the identifier. The result is the entity denoted by the identifier. The expression is an lvalue if the entity is a function, variable, or data member and a prvalue otherwise; it is a bit-field if the identifier designates a bit-field ([dcl.decomp]).

5.1.4.2 Qualified names [expr.prim.id.qual]

qualified-id:
    nested-name-specifier templateopt unqualified-id

nested-name-specifier:
    ::
    type-name ::
    namespace-name ::
    decltype-specifier ::
    nested-name-specifier identifier ::
    nested-name-specifier templateopt simple-template-id ::

The type denoted by a decltype-specifier in a nested-name-specifier shall be a class or enumeration type.

A nested-name-specifier that denotes a class, optionally followed by the keyword template ([temp.names]), and then followed by the name of a member of either that class ([class.mem]) or one of its base classes (Clause [class.derived]), is a qualified-id; [class.qual] describes name lookup for class members that appear in qualified-ids. The result is the member. The type of the result is the type of the member. The result is an lvalue if the member is a static member function or a data member and a prvalue otherwise. [ Note: A class member can be referred to using a qualified-id at any point in its potential scope ([basic.scope.class]).  — end note ] Where class-name ::~ class-name is used, the two class-names shall refer to the same class; this notation names the destructor ([class.dtor]). The form ~ decltype-specifier also denotes the destructor, but it shall not be used as the unqualified-id in a qualified-id. [ Note: a typedef-name that names a class is a class-name ([class.name]).  — end note ]

The nested-name-specifier :: names the global namespace. A nested-name-specifier that names a namespace ([basic.namespace]), optionally followed by the keyword template ([temp.names]), and then followed by the name of a member of that namespace (or the name of a member of a namespace made visible by a using-directive), is a qualified-id; [namespace.qual] describes name lookup for namespace members that appear in qualified-ids. The result is the member. The type of the result is the type of the member. The result is an lvalue if the member is a function or a variable and a prvalue otherwise.

A nested-name-specifier that denotes an enumeration ([dcl.enum]), followed by the name of an enumerator of that enumeration, is a qualified-id that refers to the enumerator. The result is the enumerator. The type of the result is the type of the enumeration. The result is a prvalue.

In a qualified-id, if the unqualified-id is a conversion-function-id, its conversion-type-id shall denote the same type in both the context in which the entire qualified-id occurs and in the context of the class denoted by the nested-name-specifier.