Proposed resolution:

This wording is relative to N4640.

1. Modify [variant.assign] as indicated:

   [Drafting note: Presentation of para 9 immediately below has been split into individual bullets.]

   variant& operator=(const variant& rhs);
   

   Let j be rhs.index().

   -1- Effects:

   1. (1.1) — If neither *this nor rhs holds a value, there is no effect. Otherwise,

   2. (1.2) — if *this holds a value but rhs does not, destroys the value contained in *this and sets *this to not hold a value. Otherwise,

   3. (1.3) — if index() == jrhs.index(), assigns the value contained in rhs to the value contained in *this. Otherwise,

   4. (1.?) — if is_nothrow_copy_constructible_v<T_j> || !is_nothrow_move_constructible_v<T_j> is true, equivalent to emplace<j>(get<j>(rhs)). Otherwise,

   5. (1.4) — equivalent to operator=(variant(rhs))copies the value contained in rhs to a temporary, then destroys any value contained in *this. Sets *this to hold the same alternative index as rhs and initializes the value contained in *this as if direct-non-list-initializing an object of type T_j with std::forward<T_j>(TMP), with TMP being the temporary and j being rhs.index().

   -2- Returns: *this.

   -3- Postconditions: index() == rhs.index().

   -4- Remarks: This function shall not participate in overload resolution unless is_copy_constructible_v<T_i> && is_move_constructible_v<T_i> && is_copy_assignable_v<T_i> is true for all i.

   1. (4.1) — If an exception is thrown during the call […]

   2. (4.2) — If an exception is thrown during the call […]

   3. (4.3) — If an exception is thrown during the call […]

   variant& operator=(variant&& rhs) noexcept(see below);
   

   Let j be rhs.index().

   -5- Effects:

   1. (5.1) — If neither *this nor rhs holds a value, there is no effect. Otherwise,

   2. (5.2) — if *this holds a value but rhs does not, destroys the value contained in *this and sets *this to not hold a value. Otherwise,

   3. (5.3) — if index() == jrhs.index(), assigns get<j>(std::move(rhs)) to the value contained in *this, with j being index(). Otherwise,

   4. (5.4) — equivalent to emplace<j>(get<j>(std::move(rhs)))destroys any value contained in *this. Sets *this to hold the same alternative index as rhs and initializes the value contained in *this as if direct-non-list-initializing an object of type T_j with get<j>(std::move(rhs)) with j being rhs.index().

   […]

   […]

   template <class T> variant& operator=(T&& t) noexcept(see below);
   

   -8- […]

   -9- Effects:

   1. (9.1) — If *this holds a T_j, assigns std::forward<T>(t) to the value contained in *this. Otherwise,

   2. (9.?) — if is_nothrow_constructible_v<T_j, T> || !is_nothrow_move_constructible_v<T_j> is true, equivalent to emplace<j>(std::forward<T>(t)). Otherwise,

   3. (9.3) — equivalent to operator=(variant(std::forward<T>(t)))destroys any value contained in *this, sets *this to hold the alternative type T_j as selected by the imaginary function overload resolution described above, and direct-initializes the contained value as if direct-non-list-initializing it with std::forward<T>(t).

[ Kona 2017-03-02 ]

Accepted as Immediate to resolve NB comment.

[ 2017-03-02, Kona, Casey comments and suggests wording ]

The wording below has been developed with much input from Tomasz.

The copy-assignment operator is very careful to not destroy the contained element until after a temporary has been constructed, which can be safely moved from.

This makes the valueless_by_exception state extremely rare, by design.

However, the same care and attention is not paid to the move-assignment operator, nor the assignment-from-deduced-value assignment template. This concern should be similarly important in these cases, especially the latter.

Proposed change: —