constexpr const vs constexpr variables?

Question

It seems obvious that constexpr implies const and thus it is common to see:

constexpr int foo = 42; // no const here 

However if you write:

constexpr char *const str = "foo"; 

Then GCC will spawn "warning: deprecated conversion from string constant to ‘char*’" if -Wwrite-string flag is passed.

Writing:

constexpr const char *const str = "foo"; 

solves the issue.

So are constexpr const and constexpr really the same?

Answer 1

The issue is that in a variable declaration, constexpr always applies the const-ness to the object declared; const on the other hand can apply to a different type, depending on the placement.

Thus

constexpr const int i = 3; constexpr int i = 3; 

are equivalent;

constexpr char* p = nullptr; constexpr char* const p = nullptr; 

are equivalent; both make p a const pointer to char.

constexpr const char* p = nullptr; constexpr const char* const p = nullptr; 

are equivalent. constexpr makes p a const pointer. The const in const char * makes p point to const char.