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### 717. Incomplete `valarray::operator[]` specification in [valarray.access]

Section: 28.6.2.4 [valarray.access] Status: NAD Editorial Submitter: Daniel Krügler Opened: 2007-08-27 Last modified: 2016-01-28

Priority: Not Prioritized

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Discussion:

Since the return type of `valarray`'s `operator[] const` overload has been changed to `const T&` as described in 389 several paragraphs of the section 28.6.2.4 [valarray.access] are now incompletely specified, because many requirements and guarantees should now also apply to the const overload. Most notably, the address and reference guarantees should be extended to the const overload case.

Proposed resolution:

Change 28.6.2.4 [valarray.access]:

> -1- When applied to a constant array, the subscript operator returns a reference to the corresponding element of the array. When applied to a non-constant array, t The subscript operator returns a reference to the corresponding element of the array.

> -3- The expression `&a[i+j] == &a[i] + j` evaluates as `true` for all `size_t i` and `size_t j` such that `i+j` is less than the length of the non-constant array `a`.

> -4- Likewise, the expression `&a[i] != &b[j]` evaluates as `true` for any two non-constant arrays `a` and `b` and for any `size_t i` and `size_t j` such that `i` is less than the length of `a` and `j` is less than the length of `b`. This property indicates an absence of aliasing and may be used to advantage by optimizing compilers.281)

> -5- The reference returned by the subscript operator for an non-constant array is guaranteed to be valid until the member function `resize(size_t, T)` (26.5.2.7) is called for that array or until the lifetime of that array ends, whichever happens first.