Can C 11 Overloading Differentiate Between `constexpr` and Non-`constexpr` Functions?

constexpr Overloading in C 11

Constexpr allows developers to declare variables and functions as compile-time constants, improving performance and flexibility. However, C 11 limits the usefulness of constexpr by preventing the definition of multiple functions with the same signature, but different constexpr status. This limitation arises from the inability to differentiate between constexpr and non-constexpr functions during overload resolution.

Examples include:

• A constexpr std::string constructor for constexpr arguments and a non-constexpr constructor for non-constexpr arguments.
• Functions where statefulness would enhance efficiency in non-constexpr cases.

Altering function behavior based on the presence of constexpr arguments would enable optimized implementations for scenarios where arguments are compile-time constants.

Standard Compliance and Intentional Restriction

Unfortunately, C 11 does not allow function overloading based on constexpr arguments. The standard intentionally restricts overloading on compile-time constant arguments to ensure logical consistency and avoid ambiguities. Hence, an update to the standard would be necessary to introduce such overloading functionality.

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