The clause “If a conversion function is a member function,” was added to the working draft in N2798 as part of the Concepts wording per N2773 Proposed Wording for Concepts. N2798 12.3.2/1 reads (I’ll use bold to show additions, and strikeout to show removals):
1 A member function of a class
X
having no parameters, or an associated function of a concept whose sole parameter is of typeX
, with a name of the formconversion-function-id:
operator
conversion-type-idconversion-type-id:
type-specifier-seq attribute-specifieropt conversion-declaratoropt
conversion-declarator:
ptr-operator conversion-declaratoropt
specifies a conversion from
X
to the type specified by the conversion-type-id. Suchmemberfunctions are called conversion functions.Classes, enumerations, and typedef-names shall not be declared in the type-specifier-seq. Neither parameter types norNo return type can be specified. If a conversion function is a member function,
tThe type ofathe conversion function (8.3.5) is “function taking no parameter returning conversion-type-id”; if a conversion function is an associated function, the type of the conversion function is “function taking a parameter of typeX
returning conversion-type-id”. A conversion function is never used to convert …
The Concepts wording was removed in draft N2960. The “If a conversion function is a member function,” should have also been removed at that time since it is now vestigal. Pertinent portion of N2960 §12.3.2/1:
1 A member function of a class
X
having no parameters,or an associated function of a concept whose sole parameter is of type X,with a name of the formconversion-function-id:
operator
conversion-type-idconversion-type-id:
type-specifier-seq attribute-specifieropt conversion-declaratoropt
conversion-declarator:
ptr-operator conversion-declaratoropt
specifies a conversion from
X
to the type specified by the conversion-type-id. Such functions are called conversion functions. No return type can be specified. If a conversion function is a member function, the type of the conversion function (8.3.5) is “function taking no parameter returning conversion-type-id”; if a conversion function is an associated function, the type of the conversion function is “function taking a parameter of type. …X
returning conversion-type-id”
2018-02-03 Update: This has been fixed in C++17
CWG corrected this wording as a drive-by while fixing CWG issue 1990.