How to ensure constexpr function never called at runtime?
In C++20 you can just replace constexpr
by consteval
to enforce a function to be always evaluated at compile time.
Example:
int rt_function(int v){ return v; }
constexpr int rt_ct_function(int v){ return v; }
consteval int ct_function(int v){ return v; }
int main(){
constexpr int ct_value = 1; // compile value
int rt_value = 2; // runtime value
int a = rt_function(ct_value);
int b = rt_ct_function(ct_value);
int c = ct_function(ct_value);
int d = rt_function(rt_value);
int e = rt_ct_function(rt_value);
int f = ct_function(rt_value); // ERROR: runtime value
constexpr int g = rt_function(ct_value); // ERROR: runtime function
constexpr int h = rt_ct_function(ct_value);
constexpr int i = ct_function(ct_value);
}
Pre C++20 workaround
You can enforce the use of it in a constant expression:
#include<utility>
template<typename T, T V>
constexpr auto ct() { return V; }
template<typename T>
constexpr auto func() {
return ct<decltype(std::declval<T>().value()), T{}.value()>();
}
template<typename T>
struct S {
constexpr S() {}
constexpr T value() { return T{}; }
};
template<typename T>
struct U {
U() {}
T value() { return T{}; }
};
int main() {
func<S<int>>();
// won't work
//func<U<int>>();
}
By using the result of the function as a template argument, you got an error if it can't be solved at compile-time.
A theoretical solution (as templates should be Turing complete) - don't use constexpr functions and fall back onto the good-old std=c++0x
style of computing using exclusively struct template with values
. For example, don't do
constexpr uintmax_t fact(uint n) {
return n>1 ? n*fact(n-1) : (n==1 ? 1 : 0);
}
but
template <uint N> struct fact {
uintmax_t value=N*fact<N-1>::value;
}
template <> struct fact<1>
uintmax_t value=1;
}
template <> struct fact<0>
uintmax_t value=0;
}
The struct
approach is guaranteed to be evaluated exclusively at compile time.
The fact the guys at boost managed to do a compile time parser is a strong signal that, albeit tedious, this approach should be feasible - it's a one-off cost, maybe one can consider it an investment.
For example:
to power struct:
// ***Warning: note the unusual order of (power, base) for the parameters
// *** due to the default val for the base
template <unsigned long exponent, std::uintmax_t base=10>
struct pow_struct
{
private:
static constexpr uintmax_t at_half_pow=pow_struct<exponent / 2, base>::value;
public:
static constexpr uintmax_t value=
at_half_pow*at_half_pow*(exponent % 2 ? base : 1)
;
};
// not necessary, but will cut the recursion one step
template <std::uintmax_t base>
struct pow_struct<1, base>
{
static constexpr uintmax_t value=base;
};
template <std::uintmax_t base>
struct pow_struct<0,base>
{
static constexpr uintmax_t value=1;
};
The build token
template <uint vmajor, uint vminor, uint build>
struct build_token {
constexpr uintmax_t value=
vmajor*pow_struct<9>::value
+ vminor*pow_struct<6>::value
+ build_number
;
}