https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=104213
--- Comment #6 from Andrew Pinski <pinskia at gcc dot gnu.org> --- > I'm not sure why a dtor would have a return type other than void or why it > would need to return the this pointer Because that is what is required by the ARM C++ EABI: >From the PDF on: https://developer.arm.com/documentation/ihi0041/latest GC++ABI §3.1.512 Constructor return values This ABI requires C1 and C2 constructors to return this (instead of being void functions) so that a C3 constructor can tail call the C1 constructor and the C1 constructor can tail call C2. Similarly, we require D2 and D1 to return this so that D0 need not save and restore this and D1 can tail call D2 (if there are no virtual bases). D0 is still a void function. We do not require thunks to virtual destructors to return this. Such a thunk would have to adjust the destructor’s result, preventing it from tail calling the destructor, and nullifying any possible saving. Consequently, only non-virtual calls of D1 and D2 destructors can be relied on to return this.
