---
description: "Learn more about the pointers_to_members pragma directive in Microsoft C/C++"
title: "pointers_to_members pragma"
ms.date: 04/13/2021
f1_keywords: ["pointers_to_members_CPP", "vc-pragma.pointers_to_members"]
helpviewer_keywords: ["class members, pointers to", "pragma, pointers_to_members", "members, pointers to", "pointers_to_members pragma"]
no-loc: ["pragma"]
---
# `pointers_to_members` pragma

**C++ Specific**

Specifies whether a pointer to a class member can be declared before its associated class definition. Used to control the pointer size, and the code required to interpret the pointer.

## Syntax

> **`#pragma pointers_to_members( best_case )`**\
> **`#pragma pointers_to_members( full_generality`** [ **`,`** *`most-general-representation`* ] **`)`**

## Remarks

You can place a **`pointers_to_members`** pragma in your source file as an alternative to using the [`/vmb` or `/vmg`](../build/reference/vmb-vmg-representation-method.md) and [`/vmm`, `/vms`, `/vmv`](../build/reference/vmm-vms-vmv-general-purpose-representation.md) compiler options or the Microsoft-specific [inheritance keywords](../cpp/inheritance-keywords.md).

The pointer-declaration argument specifies whether you've declared a pointer to a member before or after the associated function definition. The *`pointer-declaration`* argument is one of these two symbols:

- **`full_generality`**\
  Generates safe, sometimes nonoptimal code. Use **`full_generality`** if any pointer to a member is declared before the associated class definition. This argument always uses the pointer representation specified by the *`most-general-representation`* argument. Equivalent to **`/vmg`**.

- **`best_case`**\
  Generates optimal code using best-case representation for all pointers to members. Requires you to define the class before you declare a pointer to a member. The default is **`best_case`**.

The *`most-general-representation`* argument specifies the smallest pointer representation that the compiler should use to reference safely any pointer to a member of a class in a translation unit. The argument can be one of these values:

- **`single_inheritance`**\
  The most general representation is single-inheritance pointer to member function. Equivalent to **`/vmg /vms`**. Causes an error if the inheritance model of a class definition is either multiple or virtual.

- **`multiple_inheritance`**\
  The most general representation is multiple-inheritance pointer to member function. Equivalent to **`/vmg /vmm`**. Causes an error if the inheritance model of a class definition is virtual.

- **`virtual_inheritance`**\
  The most general representation is virtual-inheritance pointer to member function. Equivalent to **`/vmg /vmv`**.  Never causes an error. **`virtual_inheritance`** is the default argument when `#pragma pointers_to_members(full_generality)` is used.

> [!CAUTION]
> We advise you to put the **`pointers_to_members`** pragma only in the source code file that you want to affect, and only after any `#include` directives. This practice reduces the risk that the pragma will affect other files, and that you'll accidentally specify multiple definitions for the same variable, function, or class name.

## Example

```cpp
//   Specify single-inheritance only
#pragma pointers_to_members( full_generality, single_inheritance )
```

**END C++ Specific**

## See also

[Pragma directives and the `__pragma` and `_Pragma` keywords](./pragma-directives-and-the-pragma-keyword.md)