It is valid for function templates but only when argument deduction can help the compiler resolve the template parameters, as it stands your function template example is virtually useless because
template<typename T, typename... Args, typename S> void fn() { }
int main() { fn<int, int, int>(); }
test.cpp: In function 'int main()':
test.cpp:2:32: error: no matching function for call to 'fn()'
int main() { fn<int, int, int>(); }
^
test.cpp:1:57: note: candidate: template<class T, class ... Args, class S> void fn()
template<typename T, typename... Args, typename S> void fn() { }
^
test.cpp:1:57: note: template argument deduction/substitution failed:
test.cpp:2:32: note: couldn't deduce template parameter 'S'
int main() { fn<int, int, int>(); }
the compiler has no way of determining which template parameters belong to the parameter pack, and which to S
. In fact as @T.C. points out it should actually be a syntax error because a function template defined in this manner cannot ever be instantiated.
A more useful function template would be something like
template<typename T, typename... Args, typename S> void fn(S s) { }
as now the compiler is able to unambiguously match the function parameter s
with the template type S
, with the side effect that S
will always be deduced – all explicit template parameters after the first will belong to Args
.
None of this works for (primary) class templates, parameters aren’t deduced and it’s expressly forbidden:
From draft n4567
http://www.open-std.org/jtc1/sc22/wg21/docs/papers/2015/n4567.pdf
[temp.param] / 11
[…]If a template-parameter of a primary class template or alias
template is a template parameter pack, it shall be the last
template-parameter.[…]
(if they were deduced it would be ambiguous as in the function template example).