A type mentioned in [basic.fundamental] and [basic.compound] is a cv-unqualified type. Each type which is a cv-unqualified complete or incomplete object type or is void ([basic.types]) has three corresponding cv-qualified versions of its type: a const-qualified version, a volatile-qualified version, and a const-volatile-qualified version. The term object type ([intro.object]) includes the cv-qualifiers specified when the object is created. The presence of a const specifier in a decl-specifier-seq declares an object of const-qualified object type; such object is called a const object. The presence of a volatile specifier in a decl-specifier-seq declares an object of volatile-qualified object type; such object is called a volatile object. The presence of both cv-qualifiers in a decl-specifier-seq declares an object of const-volatile-qualified object type; such object is called a const volatile object. The cv-qualified or cv-unqualified versions of a type are distinct types; however, they shall have the same representation and alignment requirements ([basic.types]).51
A compound type ([basic.compound]) is not cv-qualified by the cv-qualifiers (if any) of the types from which it is compounded. Any cv-qualifiers applied to an array type affect the array element type, not the array type ([dcl.array]).
Each non-static, non-mutable, non-reference data member of a const-qualified class object is const-qualified, each non-static, non-reference data member of a volatile-qualified class object is volatile-qualified and similarly for members of a const-volatile class. See [dcl.fct] and [class.this] regarding function types that have cv-qualifiers.
There is a partial ordering on cv-qualifiers, so that a type can be said to be more cv-qualified than another. Table [tab:relations.on.const.and.volatile] shows the relations that constitute this ordering.
| no cv-qualifier | < | const |
| no cv-qualifier | < | volatile |
| no cv-qualifier | < | const volatile |
| const | < | const volatile |
| volatile | < | const volatile |
In this International Standard, the notation cv (or cv1, cv2, etc.), used in the description of types, represents an arbitrary set of cv-qualifiers, i.e., one of {const}, {volatile}, {const, volatile}, or the empty set. Cv-qualifiers applied to an array type attach to the underlying element type, so the notation “cv T,” where T is an array type, refers to an array whose elements are so-qualified. Such array types can be said to be more (or less) cv-qualified than other types based on the cv-qualification of the underlying element types.
The same representation and alignment requirements are meant to imply interchangeability as arguments to functions, return values from functions, and non-static data members of unions.