[c++] const vs constexpr on variables

constexpr indicates a value that's constant and known during compilation.
const indicates a value that's only constant; it's not compulsory to know during compilation.

int sz;
constexpr auto arraySize1 = sz;    // error! sz's value unknown at compilation
std::array<int, sz> data1;         // error! same problem

constexpr auto arraySize2 = 10;    // fine, 10 is a compile-time constant
std::array<int, arraySize2> data2; // fine, arraySize2 is constexpr

Note that const doesn’t offer the same guarantee as constexpr, because const objects need not be initialized with values known during compilation.

int sz;
const auto arraySize = sz;       // fine, arraySize is const copy of sz
std::array<int, arraySize> data; // error! arraySize's value unknown at compilation

All constexpr objects are const, but not all const objects are constexpr.

If you want compilers to guarantee that a variable has a value that can be used in contexts requiring compile-time constants, the tool to reach for is constexpr, not const.

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