From: Miguel Ojeda > Sent: 02 February 2022 20:43 > > On Mon, Jan 31, 2022 at 9:43 PM Kees Cook <keescook@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > + * - The conditional operator ("... ? ... : ...") returns the type of the > > + * operand that isn't a null pointer constant. This behavior is the > > Perhaps clarify that this happens only if it fits that case? ... > > > + * - If (x) is an integer constant expression, then the "* 0l" resolves it > > + * into a null pointer constant, which forces the conditional operator > > + * to return the type of the last operand: "(int *)". > > + * - If (x) is not an integer constant expression, then the type of the > > + * conditional operator is from the first operand: "(void *)". > > ... i.e. this one happens because it is specified as returning a > pointer to void (one could read it as returning the type of the first > operand). > > What about something like: > > - The behavior (including its return type) of the conditional > operator ("... ? ... : ...") depends on the kind of expressions given > for the second and third operands. This is the central mechanism of > the macro. > - If (x) is an integer constant expression, then the "* 0l" resolves > it into a null pointer constant. When one operand is a null pointer > constant and the other is a pointer, the conditional operator returns > the type of the pointer operand; that is, "int *". > - If (x) is not an integer constant expression, then that operand is > a pointer to void (but not a null pointer constant). When one operand > is a pointer to void and the other a pointer to an object type, the > conditional operator returns a "void *" type. Nick's quote from the C standard actually sums it up nicely: The key here is that the conditional operator returns a different type depending on whether one of the operands is a null pointer constant (6.5.15.6): [...] if one operand is a null pointer constant, the result has the type of the other operand; otherwise, one operand is a pointer to void or a qualified version of void, in which case the result type is a pointer to an appropriately qualified version of void. That followed by a reminder that "(void *)x is a null pointer constant if x is a compile time integer constant expression" is enough. All the rest is just TL;DR. The '8' also just confuse things, they are not important at all. So it can be: #define __is_constexpr(x) \ (sizeof(*(0 ? ((void *)((long)(x) * 0)) : (int *)0)) == sizeof(int)) David - Registered Address Lakeside, Bramley Road, Mount Farm, Milton Keynes, MK1 1PT, UK Registration No: 1397386 (Wales)