c++g++clang++

Is it compile bug? Accessing inactive member of union in constexpr function causes compile error in compile time evaluation


While I was playing with constexpr function, I faced the following issue.

Accessing inactive member of union is undefined behaviour I know. But there is one exception for this rule.

According to C++23 standard [class.mem.general]/26,

In a standard-layout union with an active member (11.5) of struct type T1, it is permitted to read a non-static data member m of another union member of struct type T2 provided m is part of the common initial sequence of T1 and T2; the behavior is as if the corresponding member of T1 were nominated.

So according to the standard, following code has well-defined behaviour. (note: following code is taken from the standard as well)

struct T1 { int a, b; };
struct T2 { int c; double d; };
union U { T1 t1; T2 t2; };
int f() {
    U u = { { 1, 2 } }; // active member is t1
    return u.t2.c; // OK, as if u.t1.a were nominated
}

Because above code is well-defined, then it should be evaluated in compile time.

So I prepared the following code (Here is the compiler explorer link: https://godbolt.org/z/G4e3avMaz

#include <type_traits>

template <typename T, T value>
struct Test_Union {
    struct T1 {
        T item_1 ;
    } ;

    struct T2 {
        T item_1 ;
    } ;

    union Union {
        T1 t1 ;
        T2 t2 ;
    } ;

    static_assert(std::is_standard_layout_v<T1>) ;
    static_assert(std::is_standard_layout_v<T2>) ;
    static_assert(sizeof(T1) == sizeof(T2)) ;
    static_assert(sizeof(T1) == sizeof(Union)) ;

    static constexpr Union test_1 = {.t1 = {value}} ;

    constexpr T no_error_1 (void) {
        return test_1.t1.item_1 ;
    }

    constexpr T no_error_2 (void) {
        constexpr Union test_2 = {.t1 = {value}} ;
        return test_2.t1.item_1 ;
    }

    constexpr T error_1 (void) {
        return test_1.t2.item_1 ;
    }

    constexpr T error_2 (void) {
        constexpr Union test_2 = {.t1 = {value}} ;
        return test_2.t2.item_1 ;
    }
} ;

int main (void) {
    []() consteval {
        Test_Union<int, 123> test ;
        test.no_error_1() ;
    } () ;

    []() consteval {
        Test_Union<int, 123> test ;
        test.no_error_2() ;
    } () ;
    // consteval function is not a constant expression error
    []() consteval {
        Test_Union<int, 123> test ;
        test.error_1() ;
    } () ;

    // consteval function is not a constant expression error
    []() consteval {
        Test_Union<int, 123> test ;
        test.error_2() ;
    } () ;
}

When you compile the example in g++ or clang (I did), you get an compile time error for the last two consteval lambda which called error_1 and error_2 function.

The reasons are similar. For clang:

<source>:55:5: error: call to consteval function 'main()::(anonymous class)::operator()' is not a constant expression
   55 |     []() consteval {
      |     ^
<source>:35:16: note: read of member 't2' of union with active member 't1' is not allowed in a constant expression
   35 |         return test_1.t2.item_1 ;
      |                ^
<source>:57:9: note: in call to 'test.error_1()'
   57 |         test.error_1() ;
      |         ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<source>:55:5: note: in call to '[]() {
    Test_Union<int, 123> test;
    test.error_1();
}.operator()()'
   55 |     []() consteval {
      |     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   56 |         Test_Union<int, 123> test ;
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   57 |         test.error_1() ;
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   58 |     } () ;
      |     ~~~~
<source>:60:5: error: call to consteval function 'main()::(anonymous class)::operator()' is not a constant expression
   60 |     []() consteval {
      |     ^
<source>:40:16: note: read of member 't2' of union with active member 't1' is not allowed in a constant expression
   40 |         return test_2.t2.item_1 ;
      |                ^
<source>:62:9: note: in call to 'test.error_2()'
   62 |         test.error_2() ;
      |         ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<source>:60:5: note: in call to '[]() {
    Test_Union<int, 123> test;
    test.error_2();
}.operator()()'
   60 |     []() consteval {
      |     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   61 |         Test_Union<int, 123> test ;
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   62 |         test.error_2() ;
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   63 |     } () ;

Clang is complaining that accessing inactive member of union. But according to the cpp standard, it should be ok. Like accessing t2.item_1 should be the same as t1.item_1.

So what do you think? I couldn't come up with any logical answer why compilers show an error. The only think I came up is that It looks like a compiler bug.


Solution

  • From constant_expression, emphasis mine:

    A core constant expression is any expression whose evaluation would not evaluate any one of the following language constructs:
    [..]
    9. an lvalue-to-rvalue implicit conversion or modification applied to a non-active member of a union or its subobject (even if it shares a common initial sequence with the active member)

    So it is explicitly forbidden in constexpr.