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    CWG Issue 249</TITLE>
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<P><EM>This is an unofficial snapshot of the ISO/IEC JTC1 SC22 WG21
  Core Issues List revision 118b.
  See http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/ for the official
  list.</EM></P>
<P>2025-09-28</P>
<HR>
<A NAME="249"></A><H4>249.
  
What is a member function template?
</H4>
<B>Section: </B>13.7.2.2&#160; [<A href="https://wg21.link/temp.mem.func">temp.mem.func</A>]
 &#160;&#160;&#160;

 <B>Status: </B>TC1
 &#160;&#160;&#160;

 <B>Submitter: </B>David Thornley
 &#160;&#160;&#160;

 <B>Date: </B>11 Oct 2000<BR>


<P>The phrase "member function template" is used in
6.3 [<A href="https://wg21.link/basic.def.odr#5">basic.def.odr</A>] paragraph 5 in the list of entities whose
definitions can appear more than once in a program, with a
cross-reference to 13.7.2.2 [<A href="https://wg21.link/temp.mem.func">temp.mem.func</A>].  The title of
that section is "Member functions of class templates," and paragraph 1
of that section says,</P>

<BLOCKQUOTE>

A member function template may be defined outside of the class
template in which it is declared.

</BLOCKQUOTE>

<P>The example in that paragraph shows a non-template member function
of a class template being defined.  This gives the impression that the
phrase "member function template" is intended to refer to a member
function of a class template.</P>

<P>If this usage were intended, much of the rest of the Standard
would be unintelligible: objects of class template specializations
could not be copied (11.4.5.3 [<A href="https://wg21.link/class.copy.ctor#3">class.copy.ctor</A>] paragraph 3),
member functions of class templates could not be declared
<TT>virtual</TT> (13.7.3 [<A href="https://wg21.link/temp.mem#3">temp.mem</A>] paragraph 3),
etc.</P>

<P><B>Suggested resolution:</B></P>

<P>Change "member function template" to "member function of a class
template" in both 6.3 [<A href="https://wg21.link/basic.def.odr#5">basic.def.odr</A>] paragraph 5 and
13.7.2.2 [<A href="https://wg21.link/temp.mem.func#1">temp.mem.func</A>] paragraph 1.</P>

<P>(See also <A HREF="205.html">issue 205</A>.)</P>

<P>
<B>Proposed resolution (10/00):</B> As suggested.</P>

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