constexpr with string operations workaround?

c++, c++11, constexpr, stdstring

Solution

Compile-time "string" concatenation :

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

template <char ... CTail>
struct MetaString
{ 
    static std::string string()
    {
        return std::string{CTail...};
    }
};

template <class L, class R>
struct Concatenate;

template <char ... LC, char  ... RC>
struct Concatenate<MetaString<LC ... >, MetaString<RC ... >>
{
    typedef MetaString<LC ..., RC ... > Result;
};

int main()
{
    typedef MetaString<'f', 'o', 'o'> Foo;
    typedef MetaString<'b', 'a', 'r'> Bar;

    typedef typename Concatenate<Foo, Bar>::Result FooBar;

    std::cout << Foo::string() << std::endl; //  foo
    std::cout << Bar::string() << std::endl; //  bar
    std::cout << FooBar::string() << std::endl; //  foobar
}

Problem

This previously answered question explains why the code I have posted below does not work. I have a follow-up question: is there a workaround that is conceptually equivalent, i.e., achieves compile-time string concatenation, but is implemented in a way that is actually supported by C++11? Using std::string is completely non-essential. ``` constexpr std::string foo() { return std::string("foo"); } constexpr std::string bar() { return std::string("bar"); } constexpr std::string foobar() { return foo() + bar(); } ```

Original source

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