7 Declarations [dcl.dcl]

Function-specifiers can be used only in function declarations.

function-specifier:
    inline
    virtual
    explicit

A function declaration ([dcl.fct], [class.mfct], [class.friend]) with an inline specifier declares an inline function. The inline specifier indicates to the implementation that inline substitution of the function body at the point of call is to be preferred to the usual function call mechanism. An implementation is not required to perform this inline substitution at the point of call; however, even if this inline substitution is omitted, the other rules for inline functions defined by [dcl.fct.spec] shall still be respected.

A function defined within a class definition is an inline function. The inline specifier shall not appear on a block scope function declaration.93 If the inline specifier is used in a friend declaration, that declaration shall be a definition or the function shall have previously been declared inline.

An inline function shall be defined in every translation unit in which it is odr-used and shall have exactly the same definition in every case ([basic.def.odr]). [ Note: A call to the inline function may be encountered before its definition appears in the translation unit.  — end note ] If the definition of a function appears in a translation unit before its first declaration as inline, the program is ill-formed. If a function with external linkage is declared inline in one translation unit, it shall be declared inline in all translation units in which it appears; no diagnostic is required. An inline function with external linkage shall have the same address in all translation units. A static local variable in an extern inline function always refers to the same object. A string literal in the body of an extern inline function is the same object in different translation units. [ Note: A string literal appearing in a default argument is not in the body of an inline function merely because the expression is used in a function call from that inline function.  — end note ] A type defined within the body of an extern inline function is the same type in every translation unit.

The virtual specifier shall be used only in the initial declaration of a non-static class member function; see [class.virtual].

The explicit specifier shall be used only in the declaration of a constructor or conversion function within its class definition; see [class.conv.ctor] and [class.conv.fct].