When casting a pointer to const to a pointer to const pointer to data member type, the constness of the ptdm is ignored. This breaks ptdm members of boost::variant union types. Example code:
struct blah { int a; }; int main( int argc, char ** argv ) { int blah::* ptdma = &blah::a; const void *ptdmv = static_cast< void * >( &ptdma ); int blah::* const ptdmb = * static_cast< int blah::* const * >( ptdmv ); return 0; } This code compiles fine on the Comeau web test-drive. GCC 3.1, 3.4.3, and 4.0.0 all choke on the second static_cast. (I'm only filing for 4.0.0.) More stats: % /usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/g++ -v -save-temps test2.cpp Reading specs from /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/specs Target: i686-pc-linux-gnu Configured with: ../gcc-4.0.0/configure --prefix=/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0 --with-as=/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/gas --with-ld=/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/gld --disable-libgcj --enable-languages=c,c++,objc Thread model: posix gcc version 4.0.0 /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../libexec/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/cc1plus -E -quiet -v -iprefix /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/ -D_GNU_SOURCE test2.cpp -mtune=pentiumpro -fpch-preprocess -o test2.ii ignoring nonexistent directory "/nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../i686-pc-linux-gnu/include" ignoring duplicate directory "/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../include/c++/4.0.0" ignoring duplicate directory "/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../include/c++/4.0.0/i686-pc-linux-gnu" ignoring duplicate directory "/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../include/c++/4.0.0/backward" ignoring duplicate directory "/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/include" ignoring nonexistent directory "/usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../i686-pc-linux-gnu/include" #include "..." search starts here: #include <...> search starts here: /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../include/c++/4.0.0 /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../include/c++/4.0.0/i686-pc-linux-gnu /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/../../../../include/c++/4.0.0/backward /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../lib/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/include /usr/local/include /usr/intel/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/include /usr/include End of search list. /nfs/site/itools/i386_linux24/pkgs/gcc/4.0.0/bin/../libexec/gcc/i686-pc-linux-gnu/4.0.0/cc1plus -fpreprocessed test2.ii -quiet -dumpbase test2.cpp -mtune=pentiumpro -auxbase test2 -version -o test2.s GNU C++ version 4.0.0 (i686-pc-linux-gnu) compiled by GNU C version 3.4.2. GGC heuristics: --param ggc-min-expand=98 --param ggc-min-heapsize=128505 test2.cpp: In function 'int main(int, char**)': test2.cpp:10: error: static_cast from type 'const void*' to type 'const int blah::* const* const' casts away constness -- Summary: constness of pointer to data member ignored Product: gcc Version: 4.0.0 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P2 Component: c++ AssignedTo: unassigned at gcc dot gnu dot org ReportedBy: david dot m dot krauss at intel dot com CC: gcc-bugs at gcc dot gnu dot org http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=21853