CppCon 2025 Back to Basics: static, inline, const, and constexpr -- Andreas Fertig

Registration is now open for CppCon 2025! The conference starts on September 13 and will be held in person in Aurora, CO. To whet your appetite for this year’s conference, we’re posting some upcoming talks that you will be able to attend this year. Here’s another CppCon future talk we hope you will enjoy – and register today for CppCon 2025!

Back to Basics: static, inline, const, and constexpr

Thursday, September 18 09:00 - 10:00 MDT

by Andreas Fertig

Summary of the talk:

C++ comes with a whole toolbox of keywords you can apply to types and functions. You think it's straightforward? My experience says otherwise. There are false-friends like static , which I often see misapplied.

In this talk, I will demystify those tricky little keywords. You'll learn what they really mean, how they behave in different contexts, and — most importantly — when to use them (and when not to). Think const, constexpr, consteval, constinit: yes, C++ has more flavors of constness than your local ice cream shop. We'll explore them all.

We'll go beyond syntax and dive into what's actually happening in the language.

While the talk includes some features from C++23, most of what we cover is rooted in C++11 or even classic C++98. We'll touch on important concepts like the One Definition Rule (ODR) and top-level qualifiers, giving you a deeper understanding of how these keywords shape your code.

After this session, you'll walk away knowing exactly where each keyword belongs. No more guesswork. Just the right keyword in the right place.

Andreas Fertig, CEO of Unique Code GmbH, is an experienced trainer and consultant for C++ for standards 11 to 23. Andreas is involved in the C++ standardization committee, developing the new standards. At international conferences, he presents how code can be written better. He publishes specialist articles, e.g., for iX magazine, and has published several textbooks on C++. With C++ Insights (https://cppinsights.io), Andreas has created an internationally recognized tool that enables users to look behind the scenes of C++ and thus understand constructs even better. Before training and consulting, he worked for Philips Medizin Systeme GmbH for ten years as a C++ software developer and architect focusing on embedded systems. You can find Andreas online at andreasfertig.com.

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