type defined in free function, accessible through auto outside. Language Bug or Feature?

Question

Let\'s define a class inside a free function, and access it outside:

#include 
auto myFunc(){
    class MyType{public: int i = 0; int j = 1;}         


        

Answer 1

The standard doesn't say anything about this specifically, except that — as you've already pointed out — it's the name that has a scope, not the type. Use of auto bypasses the type's name, giving you a way to get at the type regardless of the name's scope.

It's kind of similar to how making a nested class private doesn't mean you can't use instances of it, only that you can't name it outside of the encapsulating class's scope.

I don't see how you'd "prevent" it, nor why you'd want to.