Is it possible to test if a constexpr function is evaluated at compile time?

Question

Since the extended versions of constexpr (I think from C++14) you can declare constexpr functions that could be used as "real" constexpr. That is, the code is executed at compile time or can behave as inline functions. So when can have this program:

#include <iostream>

constexpr int foo(const int s) {
  return s + 4;
}

int main()
{
    std::cout << foo(3) << std::endl;

    const int bar = 3;
    std::cout << foo(bar) << std::endl;

    constexpr int a = 3;
    std::cout << foo(a) << std::endl;

    return 0;
}

The result is:

7
7
7

So far so good.

Is there a way (possibly standard) to know inside foo(const int s) if the function is executed at compile time or at runtime?

EDIT: Also is it possible to know at runtime if a function was evaluated at compile time?

Answer 1

C++20 introduces is_constant_evaluated, defined in header <type_traits>, which addresses this issue.

constexpr int foo(int s)
{
    if (std::is_constant_evaluated()) // note: not "if constexpr"
        /* evaluated at compile time */;
    else
        /* evaluated at run time */;
}

Note that here the ordinary if is used instead of if constexpr. If you use if constexpr, then the condition has to be evaluated at compile time, so is_constant_evaluated always returns true, rendering the test useless.

Answer 2

The technique listed works, but since it uses static_assert it is not sfinae friendly. A better way (in theory, you'll see what I mean) to do this is to check whether a function is noexcept. Why? Because, constant expressions are always noexcept, even if the functions are not marked as such. So, consider the following code:

template <class T>
constexpr void test_helper(T&&) {}

#define IS_CONSTEXPR(...) noexcept(test_helper(__VA_ARGS__))

test_helper is constexpr, so it will be a constant expression as long as its argument is. If it's a constant expression, it will be noexcept, but otherwise it won't be (since it isn't marked as such).

So now let's define this:

double bar(double x) { return x; }

constexpr double foo(double x, bool b) {
    if (b) return x; 
    else return bar(x);
}

foo is only noexcept if the x is a constant expression, and b is true; if the boolean is false then we call a non constexpr function, ruining our constexpr-ness. So, let's test this:

double d = 0.0;

constexpr auto x = IS_CONSTEXPR(foo(3.0, true));
constexpr auto y = IS_CONSTEXPR(foo(3.0, false));
constexpr auto z = IS_CONSTEXPR(foo(d, true));

std::cerr << x << y << z;

It compiles, great! This gives us compile time booleans (not compile failures), which can be used for sfinae, for example.

The catch? Well, clang has a multi-year bug, and doesn't handle this correctly. gcc however, does. Live example: http://coliru.stacked-crooked.com/a/e7b037932c358149. It prints "100", as it should.