[pointer.traits.optmem]

# 20 Memory management library [[mem]](./#mem)

## 20.2 Memory [[memory]](memory#pointer.traits.optmem)

### 20.2.3 Pointer traits [[pointer.traits]](pointer.traits#optmem)

#### 20.2.3.4 Optional members [pointer.traits.optmem]

[1](#1)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/memory.tex#L882)

Specializations of pointer_traits may define the member declared
in this subclause to customize the behavior of the standard library[.](#1.sentence-1)

A specialization generated from the pointer_traits primary template
has no member by this name[.](#1.sentence-2)

[🔗](#lib:to_address,pointer_traits)

`static element_type* to_address(pointer p) noexcept;
`

[2](#2)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/memory.tex#L894)

*Returns*: A pointer of type element_type* that references
the same location as the argument p[.](#2.sentence-1)

[3](#3)

[#](http://github.com/Eelis/draft/tree/9adde4bc1c62ec234483e63ea3b70a59724c745a/source/memory.tex#L899)

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

This function is intended to be the inverse of pointer_to[.](#3.sentence-1)

If defined, it customizes the behavior of
the non-member functionto_address ([[pointer.conversion]](pointer.conversion "20.2.4 Pointer conversion"))[.](#3.sentence-2)

— *end note*]