9 Declarations [dcl.dcl]

9.2 Specifiers [dcl.spec]

9.2.8 Type specifiers [dcl.type]

9.2.8.4 Decltype specifiers [dcl.type.decltype]

decltype-specifier:
decltype ( expression )
1
#
For an expression E, the type denoted by decltype(E) is defined as follows:
  • (1.1)
    if E is an unparenthesized id-expression naming a structured binding ([dcl.struct.bind]), decltype(E) is the referenced type as given in the specification of the structured binding declaration;
  • (1.2)
    otherwise, if E is an unparenthesized id-expression naming a non-type template-parameter, decltype(E) is the type of the template-parameter after performing any necessary type deduction ([dcl.spec.auto], [dcl.type.class.deduct]);
  • (1.3)
    otherwise, if E is an unparenthesized id-expression or an unparenthesized class member access ([expr.ref]), decltype(E) is the type of the entity named by E. If there is no such entity, or if E names a set of overloaded functions, the program is ill-formed;
  • (1.4)
    otherwise, if E is an xvalue, decltype(E) is T&&, where T is the type of E;
  • (1.5)
    otherwise, if E is an lvalue, decltype(E) is T&, where T is the type of E;
  • (1.6)
    otherwise, decltype(E) is the type of E.
The operand of the decltype specifier is an unevaluated operand.
[Example
: 
const int&& foo();
int i;
struct A { double x; };
const A* a = new A();
decltype(foo()) x1 = 17;        // type is const int&&
decltype(i) x2;                 // type is int
decltype(a->x) x3;              // type is double
decltype((a->x)) x4 = x3;       // type is const double&
— end example
]
[Note
:
The rules for determining types involving decltype(auto) are specified in [dcl.spec.auto].
— end note
]
2
#
If the operand of a decltype-specifier is a prvalue and is not a (possibly parenthesized) immediate invocation ([expr.const]), the temporary materialization conversion is not applied ([conv.rval]) and no result object is provided for the prvalue.
The type of the prvalue may be incomplete or an abstract class type.
[Note
:
As a result, storage is not allocated for the prvalue and it is not destroyed.
Thus, a class type is not instantiated as a result of being the type of a function call in this context.
In this context, the common purpose of writing the expression is merely to refer to its type.
In that sense, a decltype-specifier is analogous to a use of a typedef-name, so the usual reasons for requiring a complete type do not apply.
In particular, it is not necessary to allocate storage for a temporary object or to enforce the semantic constraints associated with invoking the type's destructor.
— end note
]
[Note
:
Unlike the preceding rule, parentheses have no special meaning in this context.
— end note
]
[Example
: 
template<class T> struct A { ~A() = delete; };
template<class T> auto h()
  -> A<T>;
template<class T> auto i(T)     // identity
  -> T;
template<class T> auto f(T)     // #1
  -> decltype(i(h<T>()));       // forces completion of A<T> and implicitly uses A<T>​::​~A()
                                // for the temporary introduced by the use of h().
                                // (A temporary is not introduced as a result of the use of i().)
template<class T> auto f(T)     // #2
  -> void;
auto g() -> void {
  f(42);                        // OK: calls #2. (#1 is not a viable candidate: type deduction
                                // fails ([temp.deduct]) because A<int>​::​~A() is implicitly used in its
                                // decltype-specifier)
}
template<class T> auto q(T)
  -> decltype((h<T>()));        // does not force completion of A<T>; A<T>​::​~A() is not implicitly
                                // used within the context of this decltype-specifier
void r() {
  q(42);                        // error: deduction against q succeeds, so overload resolution selects
                                // the specialization “q(T) -> decltype((h<T>()))” with Tint;
                                // the return type is A<int>, so a temporary is introduced and its
                                // destructor is used, so the program is ill-formed
}
— end example
]