Nothing clearer than an old good MCVE:
struct X {
auto get(int) const -> int { return {}; }
auto get(int) -> int { return {}; }
};
template <class R> auto f(auto (X::*)(int) const -> R) {}
// ^~~~ ~~~~
// trailing return type
int main() {
f(&X::get);
}
This fails in g++ (4.9.2 & 5.1.0). However if the old return type is used:
template <class R> auto f(R (X::*)(int) const) {}
// ^
// old return type
it works.
On clang (3.5.0) both variants work.
I know that trailing return type changes when the return type is inferred and the scope of it, so I wouldn't be quick to cast it as a gcc bug. So what does the standard says? Which compiler is right?
The most significant message in the error I think is
couldn't deduce template parameter ‘R’`
g++ full message:
main2.cpp: In function ‘int main()’:
main2.cpp:21:12: error: no matching function for call to ‘f(<unresolved overloaded function type>)’
f(&X::get);
^
main2.cpp:18:25: note: candidate: template<class R, class auto:1> auto f(auto:1 (X::*)(int) const)
template <class R> auto f(auto (X::*)(int) const -> R) {}
^
main2.cpp:18:25: note: template argument deduction/substitution failed:
main2.cpp:21:12: note: types ‘auto:1 (X::)(int) const’ and ‘int (X::)(int)’ have incompatible cv-qualifiers
f(&X::get);
^
main2.cpp:21:12: note: couldn't deduce template parameter ‘R’
<builtin>: recipe for target 'main2' failed
make: *** [main2] Error 1
As pointed in the question this is a gcc bug which was beed fixed in version 6