Beyond Macros: The Modern Way to Declare Constants in C and C++

Developers often face a puzzling choice when declaring constants in C and C++, with four different methods available: macros, enumerations, const, and constexpr. Each approach has distinct trade-offs regarding scope, type safety, and compile-time evaluation—understanding these differences is critical for writing maintainable and portable code. The article provides a clear hierarchy of best practices, establishing constexpr as the modern standard while acknowledging the specific situations where other methods remain appropriate.