In function, pointer, and pointer-to-member declarators, the attribute-specifier appertains to the type being declared, but the syntax has the attribute-specifier_opt appearing before the full type is seen — i.e., before the cv-qualifier-seq_opt and, for the function case, before the ref-qualifier_opt. GNU attributes appear after these elements (and, for the function case, after the exception-specification_opt as well). It would be better, both logically and for consistency with existing practice, to move the attribute-specifier_opt accordingly.