friends in template class or gcc bug ?

[Levente Farkas]

hi,
what's the problem with the following code ?
----------
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

template <class T>
struct A
{
  T x;
  A(T t) : x(t) {}
  friend ostream& operator<<(ostream&, const A&);
};

template <class T>
inline ostream& operator<<(ostream& stream, const A<T>& a)
{
  stream << a.x;
  return stream;
}

int main()
{
  A<int> a(2);
  cout << a;
  return 0;
}
----------
from gcc manual (2.95.2):
----------
-Wno-non-template-friend (C++ only) 
     Disable warnings when non-templatized friend functions are
     declared within a template. With the advent of explicit template
     specification support in g++, if the name of the friend is an
     unqualified-id (ie, `friend foo(int)'), the C++ language
     specification demands that the friend declare or define an
     ordinary, nontemplate function. (Section 14.5.3). Before g++
     implemented explicit specification, unqualified-ids could be
     interpreted as a particular specialization of a templatized
     function. Because this non-conforming behavior is no longer the
     default behavior for g++, `-Wnon-template-friend' allows the
     compiler to check existing code for potential trouble spots, and
     is on by default. This new compiler behavior can also be turned
     off with the flag `-fguiding-decls', which activates the older,
     non-specification compiler code, or with
     `-Wno-non-template-friend' which keeps the conformant
     compiler code but disables the helpful warning. 
----------
what does this mean ? I can't understand ? as I can read from the 
standard the above is a correct code, couldn't ?
look at stroustrup's book page 347 and 855 or in the 
"1997 C++ Public Review Document" 14.5.3.

 -- lfarkas
 "The only thing worse than not knowing the truth is
  ruining the bliss of ignorance."