3 Basic concepts [basic]

3.4 Name lookup [basic.lookup]

3.4.3 Qualified name lookup [basic.lookup.qual]

3.4.3.1 Class members [class.qual]

If the nested-name-specifier of a qualified-id nominates a class, the name specified after the nested-name-specifier is looked up in the scope of the class ([class.member.lookup]), except for the cases listed below. The name shall represent one or more members of that class or of one of its base classes (Clause [class.derived]). [ Note: A class member can be referred to using a qualified-id at any point in its potential scope ([basic.scope.class]).  — end note ] The exceptions to the name lookup rule above are the following:

In a lookup in which the constructor is an acceptable lookup result and the nested-name-specifier nominates a class C:

the name is instead considered to name the constructor of class C. [ Note: For example, the constructor is not an acceptable lookup result in an elaborated-type-specifier so the constructor would not be used in place of the injected-class-name.  — end note ] Such a constructor name shall be used only in the declarator-id of a declaration that names a constructor or in a using-declaration. [ Example:

struct A { A(); };
struct B: public A { B(); };

A::A() { }
B::B() { }

B::A ba;            // object of type A
A::A a;             // error, A::A is not a type name
struct A::A a2;     // object of type A

 — end example ]

A class member name hidden by a name in a nested declarative region or by the name of a derived class member can still be found if qualified by the name of its class followed by the :: operator.