Difference between constexpr and static constexpr global variable

In your current example there is no difference: On variable declarations, constexpr implies const, and a const variable at namespace scope has internal linkage by default (so adding static does not change anything).

In C++14, you cannot declare a variable as constexpr and have it have external linkage unless you only ever do this in one single translation unit. The reason is that constexpr variables require an initializer, and a declaration with initializer is a definition, and you must only have a single definition.

However, what you can do is use a normal integral constant, which you can declare (not define) as extern, and in the translation unit where it is defined it can even be used as a constant expression:

lib.h:

extern const int a;

lib.cpp:

#include "lib.h"

const int a = 10;

int b[a] = {1, 2, 3};   // OK in this translation unit

In C++17, there is a new feature “inline variables” which lets you say:

inline constexpr int a = 10;

And this is an “inline definition” that can appear repeatedly, and each definition defines the same entity (just like all the other “inline” entities in the language).

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