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    CWG Issue 281</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="281"></A><H4>281.
  
<TT>inline</TT> specifier in <TT>friend</TT> declarations
</H4>
<B>Section: </B>9.2.3&#160; [<A href="https://wg21.link/dcl.fct.spec">dcl.fct.spec</A>]
 &#160;&#160;&#160;

 <B>Status: </B>CD1
 &#160;&#160;&#160;

 <B>Submitter: </B>John Spicer
 &#160;&#160;&#160;

 <B>Date: </B>24 Apr 2001<BR>


<P>[Moved to DR at October 2002 meeting.]</P>



<P>There is currently no restriction on the use of the
<TT>inline</TT> specifier in <TT>friend</TT> declarations.  That
would mean that the following usage is permitted:</P>

<PRE>
    struct A {
        void f();
    };

    struct B {
        friend inline void A::f();
    };

    void A::f(){}
</PRE>

<P>I believe this should be disallowed because a <TT>friend</TT>
declaration in one class should not be able to change attributes of a
member function of another class.</P>

<P>More generally, I think that the <TT>inline</TT> attribute should
only be permitted in <TT>friend</TT> declarations that are definitions.</P>

<P><B>Notes from the 04/01 meeting:</B></P>

<P>The consensus agreed with the suggested resolution.  This
outcome would be similar to the resolution of
<A HREF="136.html">issue 136</A>.</P>

<P><B>Proposed resolution (10/01):</B></P>

<P> Add to the end of 9.2.3 [<A href="https://wg21.link/dcl.fct.spec#3">dcl.fct.spec</A>] paragraph 3:</P>

<BLOCKQUOTE>
If the <TT>inline</TT> specifier is used in a friend declaration, that
declaration shall be a definition or the function shall have
previously been declared inline.
</BLOCKQUOTE>

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