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Find All References on a variable template returns nothing #14631
Description
Environment
cpptools — Find All References on the variable template ex::zeroValue returns nothing
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Symbol (spec id) | var-template-zeroValue |
| Declaration | template <class T> constexpr T zeroValue = T(0); (variable template) |
| Query position | src/extras.h:22:13 (cursor on zeroValue) |
| Affected LSP request | textDocument/references |
| Repro archive | P1-var-template-zeroValue.zip (this folder) |
Summary
Find All References on the variable template ex::zeroValue returns no references in VS Code with the C/C++ extension (cpptools), missing both instantiation uses. The symbol appears unused even though it is instantiated twice.
Environment
- Editor: Visual Studio Code 1.33.5
- Extension: C/C++ (
ms-vscode.cpptools), default IntelliSense engine - Language standard: C++20 (freestanding fixture; no STL/toolchain required)
Steps to reproduce
- Extract
P1-var-template-zeroValue.zipand open thecpp-projectfolder in VS Code (C/C++ extension enabled). - Optionally configure with CMake Tools (preset
cdb); the fixture also parses under default C++20 IntelliSense. - Open
src/extras.h, place the cursor onzeroValueinconstexpr T zeroValue = T(0);(line 22, col 13). - Invoke Find All References (
Shift+Alt+F12).
Expected vs actual
| Source | Result count |
|---|---|
| Expected | 3 |
| VS Code / cpptools | 0 (no references) |
Expected (3): the template declaration (extras.h:22) and its two instantiation uses in main() — ex::zeroValue<int> (main.cpp:150) and ex::zeroValue<double> (main.cpp:151).
Actual (0): "Find All References" reports no results (the instantiation uses are not found).
Why it matters
A false "no references" on a live symbol is high risk: an automated agent (or a developer) can conclude the variable template is dead and delete it, breaking the two instantiations.
Activity