A cv-decomposition of a type T is a sequence of cv_i and P_i such that T is

“cv_0 P_0 cv_1 P_1 ⋯ cv_{n−1} P_{n−1} cv_n U”

for n≥0, where each cv_i is a set of cv-qualifiers ([basic.type.qualifier]), and each P_i is “pointer to” ([dcl.ptr]), “pointer to member of class Ci of type” ([dcl.mptr]), “array of N_i”, or “array of unknown bound of” ([dcl.array]). If P_i designates an array, the cv-qualifiers cv_{i+1} on the element type are also taken as the cv-qualifiers cv_i of the array.

 [ Example: **The type denoted by the type-id `const int
**` has two cv-decompositions, taking U as “`int`” and as “pointer to `const int`”**. — end example ] The n-tuple of cv-qualifiers after the first one in the longest cv-decomposition of T, that is, cv_1,cv_2,…,cv_n, is called the cv-qualification signature of T.