http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=55641
Bug #: 55641 Summary: debug info for the type of a reference declared with a typedef has spurious 'const' Classification: Unclassified Product: gcc Version: unknown Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: debug AssignedTo: unassig...@gcc.gnu.org ReportedBy: dblai...@gmail.com Example code: typedef int &foo; int x; foo f(x); under gdb run "whatis f" and the answer is "const foo" when it should be plain "foo" (if you skip the typedef the answer is correctly "int&" not "int& const" or any similarly strange mismatch) Found in the GDB 7.5 test suite ( gdb.python/lib-types.exp ) - this is positively tested for, but so far as I can imagine that's by accident, not intent.