C++ attribute: deprecated (since C++14)

 

C++

Compiler support

Freestanding and hosted

Language

Standard library

Standard library headers

Named requirements

Feature test macros (C++20)

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Metaprogramming library (C++11)

Diagnostics library

General utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Iterators library

Ranges library (C++20)

Algorithms library

Numerics library

Localizations library

Input/output library

Filesystem library (C++17)

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Concurrency support library (C++11)

Technical specifications

Symbols index

External libraries

 

C++ language

General topics
Preprocessor Comments	Keywords Escape sequences
Flow control
Conditional execution statements
if	switch
Iteration statements (loops)
for range-for (C++11)	while do-while
Jump statements
continue - break	goto - return
Functions
Function declaration
Lambda function expression
inline specifier
Dynamic exception specifications (until C++17*)
noexcept specifier (C++11)
Exceptions
throw-expression	try-catch block
Namespaces
Namespace declaration	Namespace aliases
Types
Fundamental types Enumeration types Function types	Class/struct types Union types
Specifiers
decltype (C++11) auto (C++11) alignas (C++11)	const/volatile constexpr (C++11)
Storage duration specifiers
Initialization
Default initialization Value initialization Zero initialization Copy initialization Direct initialization	Aggregate initialization     List initialization (C++11) Constant initialization Reference initialization

Expressions
Value categories Order of evaluation	Operators Operator precedence
Alternative representations
Literals
Boolean - Integer - Floating-point
Character - String - nullptr (C++11)
User-defined (C++11)
Utilities
Attributes (C++11)
Types
typedef declaration
Type alias declaration (C++11)
Casts
Implicit conversions - Explicit conversions
static_cast - dynamic_cast
const_cast - reinterpret_cast
Memory allocation
new expression	delete expression
Classes
Class declaration Constructors this pointer	Access specifiers friend specifier
Class-specific function properties
Virtual function override specifier (C++11)       final specifier (C++11)	explicit (C++11) static
Special member functions
Default constructor Copy constructor Move constructor (C++11)	Copy assignment Move assignment (C++11) Destructor
Templates
Class template Function template	Template specialization Parameter packs (C++11)
Miscellaneous
Inline assembly	History of C++

 

Declarations

Overview declaration syntax decl-specifier-seq declarator Specifiers typedef inline virtual function specifier explicit function specifier    friend constexpr (C++11) consteval (C++20) constinit (C++20) storage class specifiers translation-unit-local (C++20) class/struct union enum decltype (C++11) auto (C++11) alignas (C++11) constvolatile elaborated type specifier attributes (C++11)

Declarators reference pointer array Block declarations simple-declaration → structured binding declaration (C++17) alias declaration(C++11) namespace alias definition using-declaration using-directive static_assert declaration (C++11) asm-declaration opaque enum declaration(C++11) Other declarations namespace definition function declaration class template declaration function template declaration explicit template instantiation(C++11) explicit template specialization linkage specification attribute declaration (C++11) empty declaration

 

Attributes

noreturn‎ (C++11)

carries_dependency (C++11)

deprecated (C++14)

fallthrough (C++17)

nodiscard (C++17)

maybe_unused (C++17)

likelyunlikely (C++20)(C++20)

no_unique_address (C++20)

assume (C++23)

optimize_for_synchronized (TM TS)

 

Indicates that the name or entity declared with this attribute is deprecated, that is, the use is allowed, but discouraged for some reason.

Syntax

[[deprecated]]	(1)
[[deprecated( string-literal )]]	(2)

string-literal

-

text that could be used to explain the rationale for deprecation and/or to suggest a replacing entity

Explanation

Indicates that the use of the name or entity declared with this attribute is allowed, but discouraged for some reason. Compilers typically issue warnings on such uses. The string-literal, if specified, is usually included in the warnings.

This attribute is allowed in declarations of the following names or entities:

• class/struct/union: struct [[deprecated]] S;,
• typedef-name, including those declared by alias declaration: [[deprecated]] typedef S* PS;, using PS [[deprecated]] = S*;,
• variable, including static data member: [[deprecated]] int x;,
• non-static data member: union U { [[deprecated]] int n; };,
• function: [[deprecated]] void f();,
• namespace: namespace [[deprecated]] NS { int x; },
• enumeration: enum [[deprecated]] E {};,
• enumerator: enum { A [[deprecated]], B [[deprecated]] = 42 };, (since C++17)
• template specialization: template<> struct [[deprecated]] X<int> {};.

A name declared non-deprecated may be redeclared deprecated. A name declared deprecated cannot be un-deprecated by redeclaring it without this attribute.

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
 
[[deprecated]]
void TriassicPeriod()
{
    std::clog << "Triassic Period: [251.9 - 208.5] million years ago.\n";
}
 
[[deprecated("Use NeogenePeriod() instead.")]]
void JurassicPeriod()
{
    std::clog << "Jurassic Period: [201.3 - 152.1] million years ago.\n";
}
 
[[deprecated("Use calcSomethingDifferently(int).")]]    
int calcSomething(int x)
{
    return x * 2;
}
 
int main()
{
    TriassicPeriod();
    JurassicPeriod();
}

Possible output:

Triassic Period: [251.9 - 208.5] million years ago.
Jurassic Period: [201.3 - 152.1] million years ago.
 
main.cpp:20:5: warning: 'TriassicPeriod' is deprecated [-Wdeprecated-declarations]
    TriassicPeriod();
    ^
main.cpp:3:3: note: 'TriassicPeriod' has been explicitly marked deprecated here
[[deprecated]]
  ^
main.cpp:21:5: warning: 'JurassicPeriod' is deprecated: Use NeogenePeriod() instead [-Wdeprecated-declarations]
    JurassicPeriod();
    ^
main.cpp:8:3: note: 'JurassicPeriod' has been explicitly marked deprecated here
[[deprecated("Use NeogenePeriod() instead")]]
  ^
2 warnings generated.