constexpr and consteval with Variadic Functions
Can I use constexpr or consteval with variadic functions or function templates?
Yes, you can use both constexpr and consteval with variadic functions and function templates. This combination is particularly powerful for creating flexible, compile-time computations. Let's explore this with some examples
Basic Variadic constexpr Function
Here's a simple example of a variadic constexpr function that sums its arguments:
#include <iostream>
constexpr int sum() { return 0; }
template<typename T, typename... Args>
constexpr int sum(T first, Args... args) {
return first + sum(args...);
}
int main() {
constexpr int result1 = sum(1, 2, 3, 4, 5);
std::cout << "Sum: " << result1 << '\n';
constexpr int result2 = sum(10, 20, 30);
std::cout << "Sum: " << result2 << '\n';
}Sum: 15
Sum: 60Variadic consteval Function
Similarly, we can create a variadic consteval function:
#include <iostream>
consteval int product() { return 1; }
template<typename T, typename... Args>
consteval int product(T first, Args... args) {
return first * product(args...);
}
int main() {
constexpr int result1 = product(2, 3, 4);
std::cout << "Product: " << result1 << '\n';
constexpr int result2 = product(5, 10, 2);
std::cout << "Product: " << result2 << '\n';
}Product: 24
Product: 100Compile-Time String Operations
Here's a more complex example that performs compile-time string concatenation:
#include <algorithm>
#include <array>
#include <iostream>
#include <string_view>
template <std::size_t... Lengths>
constexpr auto concat(
const std::array<
std::string_view, sizeof...(Lengths)>& strs) {
constexpr std::size_t total_length = (
Lengths + ... + 0);
std::array<char, total_length + 1> result{};
char* ptr = result.data();
for (auto& str : strs) {
std::copy_n(str.data(), str.length(), ptr);
ptr += str.length();
}
result[total_length] = '\0';
return result;
}
int main() {
constexpr auto result = concat<5, 7, 6>({
"Hello", " World!", " C++20"
});
std::cout << result.data();
}Hello World! C++20Variadic Templates with if constexpr
C++17 introduced if constexpr, which works great with variadic templates:
#include <iostream>
#include <type_traits>
template<typename T>
constexpr auto to_string(T value) {
if constexpr (std::is_same_v<T, int>) {
return "int";
} else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<T, double>) {
return "double";
} else {
return "unknown";
}
}
template<typename... Args>
constexpr void print_types(Args... args) {
((std::cout << to_string(args) << ' '), ...);
std::cout << '\n';
}
int main() {
print_types(42, 3.14, 'a');
}int double unknownCompile-Time Type Traits
Variadic templates with constexpr are often used in type traits:
#include <iostream>
#include <type_traits>
template <typename... Ts>
struct all_integral : std::true_type {};
template <typename T, typename... Ts>
struct all_integral<T, Ts...>
: std::bool_constant<std::is_integral_v<T>
&& all_integral<Ts...>::value> {};
template <typename... Ts>
constexpr bool all_integral_v
= all_integral<Ts...>::value;
int main() {
constexpr bool result1
= all_integral_v<int, char, long>;
std::cout << "All integral 1: "
<< std::boolalpha << result1 << '\n';
constexpr bool result2
= all_integral_v<int, double, char>;
std::cout << "All integral 2: "
<< std::boolalpha << result2 << '\n';
}All integral 1: true
All integral 2: falseThese examples demonstrate the power and flexibility of combining constexpr/consteval with variadic functions and templates. They allow for complex compile-time computations, type manipulations, and metaprogramming techniques.
When using these features, remember to keep your code readable and maintainable, and be aware of potential increases in compilation time for very complex compile-time computations.
Compile-Time Evaluation
Learn how to implement functionality at compile-time using constexpr and consteval