11 Classes [class]

11.4 Class members [class.mem]

11.4.3 Non-static member functions [class.mfct.non-static]

11.4.3.2 The this pointer [class.this]

1
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In the body of a non-static ([class.mfct]) member function, the keyword this is a prvalue whose value is a pointer to the object for which the function is called.
The type of this in a member function whose type has a cv-qualifier-seq cv and whose class is X is “pointer to cv X”.
[Note 1:
Thus in a const member function, the object for which the function is called is accessed through a const access path.
— end note]
[Example 1: struct s { int a; int f() const; int g() { return a++; } int h() const { return a++; } // error }; int s::f() const { return a; }
The a++ in the body of s​::​h is ill-formed because it tries to modify (a part of) the object for which s​::​h() is called.
This is not allowed in a const member function because this is a pointer to const; that is, *this has const type.
— end example]
2
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[Note 2:
Similarly, volatile semantics apply in volatile member functions when accessing the object and its non-static data members.
— end note]
3
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A member function whose type has a cv-qualifier-seq cv1 can be called on an object expression of type cv2 T only if cv1 is the same as or more cv-qualified than cv2 ([basic.type.qualifier]).
[Example 2: void k(s& x, const s& y) { x.f(); x.g(); y.f(); y.g(); // error }
The call y.g() is ill-formed because y is const and s​::​g() is a non-const member function, that is, s​::​g() is less-qualified than the object expression y.
— end example]
4
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[Note 3:
Constructors and destructors cannot be declared const, volatile, or const volatile.
However, these functions can be invoked to create and destroy objects with cv-qualified types; see [class.ctor] and [class.dtor].
— end note]