20 Library introduction [library]

20.5 Library-wide requirements [requirements]

20.5.3 Requirements on types and expressions [utility.requirements]

20.5.3.3 NullablePointer requirements [nullablepointer.requirements]

A NullablePointer type is a pointer-like type that supports null values. A type P meets the requirements of NullablePointer if:

A value-initialized object of type P produces the null value of the type. The null value shall be equivalent only to itself. A default-initialized object of type P may have an indeterminate value. [Note: Operations involving indeterminate values may cause undefined behavior. end note]

An object p of type P can be contextually converted to bool. The effect shall be as if p != nullptr had been evaluated in place of p.

No operation which is part of the NullablePointer requirements shall exit via an exception.

In Table 28, u denotes an identifier, t denotes a non-const lvalue of type P, a and b denote values of type (possibly const) P, and np denotes a value of type (possibly const) std​::​nullptr_­t.

Table 28NullablePointer requirements
Expression Return type Operational semantics
P u(np);
Postconditions: u == nullptr
P u = np;
P(np) Postconditions: P(np) == nullptr
t = np P& Postconditions: t == nullptr
a != b contextually convertible to bool !(a == b)
a == np contextually convertible to bool a == P()
np == a
a != np contextually convertible to bool !(a == np)
np != a