9 Declarations [dcl.dcl]

9.8 Namespaces [basic.namespace]

9.8.2 Namespace alias [namespace.alias]

1
#
A namespace-alias-definition declares an alternate name for a namespace according to the following grammar:
namespace-alias:
	identifier

namespace-alias-definition:
	namespace identifier = qualified-namespace-specifier ;

qualified-namespace-specifier:
	nested-name-specifier namespace-name
2
#
The identifier in a namespace-alias-definition is a synonym for the name of the namespace denoted by the qualified-namespace-specifier and becomes a namespace-alias.
[ Note
:
When looking up a namespace-name in a namespace-alias-definition, only namespace names are considered, see [basic.lookup.udir].
— end note
 ]
3
#
In a declarative region, a namespace-alias-definition can be used to redefine a namespace-alias declared in that declarative region to refer only to the namespace to which it already refers.
[ Example
:
The following declarations are well-formed:
namespace Company_with_very_long_name { /* ... */ }
namespace CWVLN = Company_with_very_long_name;
namespace CWVLN = Company_with_very_long_name;  // OK: duplicate
namespace CWVLN = CWVLN;
— end example
 ]