[Voted into WP at March, 2010 meeting as document N2993.]

Proposed resolution (October, 2009):

See paper PL22.16/09-0183 = WG21 N2993. This resolution also resolves issue 570.

Notes from the September, 2008 meeting:

The CWG expressed interest in an approach that would define “variable” to include both objects and references and to use that for both this issue and issue 570.

There are a number of specifications in the Standard that should also apply to references. For example:

• 6.1 [basic.pre] paragraphs 3-4 indicate that a reference cannot have a name because it is not an entity. (See also issue 485.)

• 6.5.3 [basic.lookup.unqual] paragraph 13 covers unqualified lookup in the initializer of a variable member of a namespace but not that of a reference member of a namespace. It would be very strange if the lookup in these two cases were different.

• 6.6 [basic.link] paragraph 8 prohibits use of a type without linkage as the type of a variable with linkage, but not as the type of a reference with linkage. (References with linkage are explicitly mentioned earlier in the section.)

• 6.7.6.2 [basic.stc.static] paragraph 3 permits local static variables but not local static references.

A number of other examples could be cited. A thorough review is needed to make sure that references are completely specified.