[dcl.mptr]

# 9 Declarations [[dcl]](./#dcl)

## 9.3 Declarators [[dcl.decl]](dcl.decl#dcl.mptr)

### 9.3.4 Meaning of declarators [[dcl.meaning]](dcl.meaning#dcl.mptr)

#### 9.3.4.4 Pointers to members [dcl.mptr]

[1](#1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/declarations.tex#L3354)

The component names of a [*ptr-operator*](dcl.decl.general#nt:ptr-operator "9.3.1 General [dcl.decl.general]") are
those of its [*nested-name-specifier*](expr.prim.id.qual#nt:nested-name-specifier "7.5.5.3 Qualified names [expr.prim.id.qual]"), if any[.](#1.sentence-1)

[2](#2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/declarations.tex#L3359)

In a declarationTD whereD has the form

[*nested-name-specifier*](expr.prim.id.qual#nt:nested-name-specifier "7.5.5.3 Qualified names [expr.prim.id.qual]") * [*attribute-specifier-seq*](dcl.attr.grammar#nt:attribute-specifier-seq "9.13.1 Attribute syntax and semantics [dcl.attr.grammar]")opt [*cv-qualifier-seq*](dcl.decl.general#nt:cv-qualifier-seq "9.3.1 General [dcl.decl.general]")opt D1

and the[*nested-name-specifier*](expr.prim.id.qual#nt:nested-name-specifier "7.5.5.3 Qualified names [expr.prim.id.qual]") designates a class,
and the type of the contained [*declarator-id*](dcl.decl.general#nt:declarator-id "9.3.1 General [dcl.decl.general]") in the declarationTD1 is “*derived-declarator-type-list*T”,
the type of the [*declarator-id*](dcl.decl.general#nt:declarator-id "9.3.1 General [dcl.decl.general]") inD is “*derived-declarator-type-list* [*cv-qualifier-seq*](dcl.decl.general#nt:cv-qualifier-seq "9.3.1 General [dcl.decl.general]") pointer to member of class[*nested-name-specifier*](expr.prim.id.qual#nt:nested-name-specifier "7.5.5.3 Qualified names [expr.prim.id.qual]") of typeT”[.](#2.sentence-1)

The optional [*attribute-specifier-seq*](dcl.attr.grammar#nt:attribute-specifier-seq "9.13.1 Attribute syntax and semantics [dcl.attr.grammar]") ([[dcl.attr.grammar]](dcl.attr.grammar "9.13.1 Attribute syntax and semantics")) appertains to the
pointer-to-member[.](#2.sentence-2)

The [*nested-name-specifier*](expr.prim.id.qual#nt:nested-name-specifier "7.5.5.3 Qualified names [expr.prim.id.qual]") shall not designate an anonymous union[.](#2.sentence-3)

[3](#3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/declarations.tex#L3386)

[*Example [1](#example-1)*:

struct X {void f(int); int a;};struct Y;

int X::* pmi = &X::a;void (X::* pmf)(int) = &X::f;double X::* pmd;char Y::* pmc; declarespmi,pmf,pmd andpmc to be a pointer to a member ofX of typeint,
a pointer to a member ofX of typevoid(int),
a pointer to a member ofX of typedouble and a pointer to a member ofY of typechar respectively[.](#3.sentence-1)

The declaration ofpmd is well-formed even thoughX has no members of typedouble[.](#3.sentence-2)

Similarly, the declaration ofpmc is well-formed even thoughY is an incomplete type[.](#3.sentence-3)

pmi andpmf can be used like this:X obj;// ... obj.*pmi = 7; // assign 7 to an integer member of obj(obj.*pmf)(7); // call a function member of obj with the argument 7

— *end example*]

[4](#4)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/declarations.tex#L3446)

A pointer to member shall not point to a static member
of a class ([[class.static]](class.static "11.4.9 Static members")),
a member with reference type,
or
“cv void”[.](#4.sentence-1)

[5](#5)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/declarations.tex#L3453)

[*Note [1](#note-1)*:

See also [[expr.unary]](expr.unary "7.6.2 Unary expressions") and [[expr.mptr.oper]](expr.mptr.oper "7.6.4 Pointer-to-member operators")[.](#5.sentence-1)

The type “pointer to member” is distinct from the type “pointer”,
that is, a pointer to member is declared only by the pointer-to-member
declarator syntax, and never by the pointer declarator syntax[.](#5.sentence-2)

There is no “reference-to-member” type in C++[.](#5.sentence-3)

— *end note*]