>
> Look at the previous sentence.


Okay, so the previous sentence says "For the first option (dot) the first
expression shall be a glvalue.
<https://timsong-cpp.github.io/cppwp/n4868/expr.ref#2.sentence-1> For the
second option (arrow) the first expression shall be a prvalue having *pointer
type*. <https://timsong-cpp.github.io/cppwp/n4868/expr.ref#2.sentence-2> "
By pointer type they mean built-in pointer type and not smart pointer type.

On Tue, 9 May 2023 at 18:35, Jonathan Wakely <cxx_at_[hidden]> wrote:

>
>
> On Tue, 9 May 2023 at 13:10, Sean Mayard via Std-Proposals <
> std-proposals_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
>> I read [expr.ref#2] which includes the following sentence:
>>
>> > *The expression E1->E2 is converted to the equivalent form (*(E1)).E2*
>>
>> My question is, does this mean that "every" expression that has the form
>> *E1->E2* will be converted to *(*(E1)).E2. *I mean it is not clear to
>> me in what situations/contexts does the above sentence hold?
>>
>> For example, suppose we have a class that overloads *operator* *but does
>> not overload *operator->* then if we use *operator-> *with an object of
>> that class type, then that expression will be first converted to
>> *(*(E1)).E2* form?
>>
>> #include <iostream> struct A { int foo = 1, bar =2;};struct B { A a{}; A& operator* () { return a; }}; int main(){ B b{}; int x = b->foo; //i know this will give error because there is no overloaded operator-> //but according to [expr.ref#2] shouldn't b->foo be first converted to (*(b)).foo //and then the overloaded operator* should be used }
>>
>>
>> As you can see in the above program, `b->foo;` gives an error because the
>> class `B` has not overloaded *operator-> *. But according to
>> [expr.ref#2] the expression *b->foo *should be converted to *(*(b)).foo *and
>> then the *operator* *could be used.
>>
>> So I want to know what exactly does [expr.ref#2] mean when it said " *The
>> expression E1->E2 is converted to the equivalent form (*(E1)).E2* ".
>> Does this conversion supposed to happen only after `E1->E2` is valid or
>> before. Is a CWG issue required for this or I just did not read/interpret
>> it correctly.
>>
>
> See [expr.pre] which explains that the rules in Clause [expr] apply to the
> built-in operators, not to overloaded operators.
>
> "Subclause 7.6 defines the effects of operators when applied to types for
> which they have not been overloaded." (and also the note before that).
>
>
>