Detecting literal strings, a hack

This must be useful for something?

Yeah, I know: a string class (such as my own). <g>

Anyways, it feels too easy so there must be a catch, but I'm blind. Possibly
could also be done in more elegant way?

<code>
#include <iostream>

class CStringRef {};
class ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly {};

template< size_t N >
CStringRef cStringRefTo(
     ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly, char const (&)[N], char *
     )
{
     std::cout << "Literal" << std::endl;
     return CStringRef();
}

template< size_t N >
CStringRef cStringRefTo(
     ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly, char const (&)[N], void const *
     )
{
     std::cout << "Const buffer of size " << N << std::endl;
     return CStringRef();
}

template< size_t N >
CStringRef cStringRefTo(
     ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly, char (&)[N], char *
     )
{
     std::cout << "Mutable buffer of size " << N << std::endl;
     return CStringRef();
}

CStringRef cStringRefTo( ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly, char const*, ... )
{
     std::cout << "Pointer to const" << std::endl;
     return CStringRef();
}

CStringRef cStringRefTo( ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly, char*, ... )
{
     std::cout << "Pointer to mutable" << std::endl;
     return CStringRef();
}

#define CSTR( s ) cStringRefTo( ShouldNotBeCalledDirectly(), s, s )

int main()
{
     char const constBuf[] = "const buffer";
     char const* constPtr = constBuf;
     char mutableBuf[] = "mutable buffer";
     char* mutablePtr = mutableBuf;

     CSTR( "A literal" );
     CSTR( constBuf );
     CSTR( mutableBuf );
     CSTR( constPtr );
     CSTR( mutablePtr );
}
</code>

Cheers,

- Alf

--
A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is it such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail?