9 Declarations [dcl.dcl]

9.2 Specifiers [dcl.spec]

9.2.4 The typedef specifier [dcl.typedef]

1
#
Declarations containing the decl-specifier typedef declare identifiers that can be used later for naming fundamental or compound types.
The typedef specifier shall not be combined in a decl-specifier-seq with any other kind of specifier except a defining-type-specifier, and it shall not be used in the decl-specifier-seq of a parameter-declaration ([dcl.fct]) nor in the decl-specifier-seq of a function-definition ([dcl.fct.def]).
If a typedef specifier appears in a declaration without a declarator, the program is ill-formed.
A name declared with the typedef specifier becomes a typedef-name.
A typedef-name names the type associated with the identifier ([dcl.decl]) or simple-template-id ([temp.pre]); a typedef-name is thus a synonym for another type.
A typedef-name does not introduce a new type the way a class declaration ([class.name]) or enum declaration ([dcl.enum]) does.
[Example 1:
After typedef int MILES, *KLICKSP; the constructions MILES distance; extern KLICKSP metricp; are all correct declarations; the type of distance is int and that of metricp is “pointer to int”.
— end example]
2
#
A typedef-name can also be introduced by an alias-declaration.
The identifier following the using keyword becomes a typedef-name and the optional attribute-specifier-seq following the identifier appertains to that typedef-name.
Such a typedef-name has the same semantics as if it were introduced by the typedef specifier.
In particular, it does not define a new type.
[Example 2: using handler_t = void (*)(int); extern handler_t ignore; extern void (*ignore)(int); // redeclare ignore using cell = pair<void*, cell*>; // error — end example]
The defining-type-specifier-seq of the defining-type-id shall not define a class or enumeration if the alias-declaration is the declaration of a template-declaration.
3
#
In a given non-class scope, a typedef specifier can be used to redeclare the name of any type declared in that scope to refer to the type to which it already refers.
[Example 3: typedef struct s { /* ... */ } s; typedef int I; typedef int I; typedef I I; — end example]
4
#
In a given class scope, a typedef specifier can be used to redeclare any class-name declared in that scope that is not also a typedef-name to refer to the type to which it already refers.
[Example 4: struct S { typedef struct A { } A; // OK typedef struct B B; // OK typedef A A; // error }; — end example]
5
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If a typedef specifier is used to redeclare in a given scope an entity that can be referenced using an elaborated-type-specifier, the entity can continue to be referenced by an elaborated-type-specifier or as an enumeration or class name in an enumeration or class definition respectively.
[Example 5: struct S; typedef struct S S; int main() { struct S* p; // OK } struct S { }; // OK — end example]
6
#
In a given scope, a typedef specifier shall not be used to redeclare the name of any type declared in that scope to refer to a different type.
[Example 6: class complex { /* ... */ }; typedef int complex; // error: redefinition — end example]
7
#
Similarly, in a given scope, a class or enumeration shall not be declared with the same name as a typedef-name that is declared in that scope and refers to a type other than the class or enumeration itself.
[Example 7: typedef int complex; class complex { /* ... */ }; // error: redefinition — end example]
8
#
A simple-template-id is only a typedef-name if its template-name names an alias template or a template template-parameter.
[Note 1:
A simple-template-id that names a class template specialization is a class-name ([class.name]).
If a typedef-name is used to identify the subject of an elaborated-type-specifier ([dcl.type.elab]), a class definition, a constructor declaration, or a destructor declaration, the program is ill-formed.
— end note]
[Example 8: struct S { S(); ~S(); }; typedef struct S T; S a = T(); // OK struct T * p; // error — end example]
9
#
If the typedef declaration defines an unnamed class or enumeration, the first typedef-name declared by the declaration to be that type is used to denote the type for linkage purposes only ([basic.link]).
[Note 2:
A typedef declaration involving a lambda-expression does not itself define the associated closure type, and so the closure type is not given a name for linkage purposes.
— end note]
[Example 9: typedef struct { } *ps, S; // S is the class name for linkage purposes typedef decltype([]{}) C; // the closure type has no name for linkage purposes — end example]
10
#
An unnamed class with a typedef name for linkage purposes shall not
  • (10.1)
    declare any members other than non-static data members, member enumerations, or member classes,
  • (10.2)
    have any base classes or default member initializers, or
  • (10.3)
    contain a lambda-expression,
and all member classes shall also satisfy these requirements (recursively).
[Example 10: typedef struct { int f() {} } X; // error: struct with typedef name for linkage has member functions — end example]