Meaning of terms "subexpression" and "constant expression"

From:
Nikolay Ivchenkov <tsoae@mail.ru>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:23:54 CST
Message-ID:
<2f3d624a-6ff5-4364-8849-de9b30e30263@p12g2000vbo.googlegroups.com>
Consider the following example:

   #include <iostream>

   template <void (*pf)()>
       struct X
   {
       template <void (*)()>
           struct Y;
       static void instantiate() { (void)m; }

       typedef Y<&X::instantiate> Inst;

       X() { pf(); }
       static X m;
   };

   template <void (*pf)()>
       X<pf> X<pf>::m;

   void f()
   {
       std::cout << "f()\n";
   }

   int main()
   {
       sizeof X<&f>();
   }

According to N3225 - 3.2/2,

 An expression is potentially evaluated unless it is an unevaluated
operand (Clause 5) or a subexpression thereof.

Can the expression f in sizeof X<&f>() be considered as subexpression
of X<&f>()? Is the expression f potentially evaluated and is the
function f odr-used?

Another example:

   int main()
   {
       int m = 11;
       int n = 22;
       sizeof(new char[m]); // (1)
       sizeof(new char[m][n]); // (2)
   }

According to N3225 - 5.19/2,

 A conditional-expression is a constant expression unless it involves
one of the following as a potentially evaluated subexpression (3.2)
[...]

Does this rule imply that
 at (1) new char[m] and m are constant expressions,
 at (2) new char[m][n], m, and even n are constant expressions?

5.19/2 also contains the following wording:

 an invocation of an undefined constexpr function or an undefined
constexpr constructor outside the definition of a constexpr function
or a constexpr constructor

Where exactly a constexpr function shall be considered defined?

   struct X
   {
       static constexpr int size()
       {
           return sizeof(X);
       }

       char arr[size()]; // is 'size' undefined here?
   };

   struct Y
   {
       static constexpr int offset()
       {
           return offsetof(Y, c);
       }

       char arr[offset()]; // is 'offset' undefined here?
       char c;
   };

   struct Z
   {
       static constexpr int f()
           { return g(); } // is 'g' defined here?
       static constexpr int g()
           { return 0; }
   };

Is the following program well-formed?

   constexpr int foo()
   {
       // is it "outside the definition of
       // a constexpr function"?
       return bar();
   }

   char arr[foo()];

   constexpr int bar()
   {
       return 1;
   }

   int main() {}

If the answer is "yes", the next question:
is the following program well-formed?

   constexpr int foo()
   {
       return bar();
   }

   char arr[foo()];

   constexpr int bar()
   {
       // cyclic dependency
       // (but this is not a recursive function invocation)
       return sizeof arr;
   }

   int main() {}

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