What is the general term for [function] names of which the value is fully known at compile time?

Question

In certain programming languages, the meaning of certain names may be fully determined at compile-time (i.e. without running the program).

Example:

A function in C has global scope; when the name of the function is used somewhere else in the program (and the variable is not shaded by another variable of the same name) it is always exactly that function that is being referenced, and the compiler can just inline the memory-address of that function.

What is the general term for such symbols of which the meaning is known fully at compile-time? I am tempted to go with "static", but that term seems to be mean very many things in different contexts. Is there a more unambiguous term for this phenomenon?

Answer 1

You're looking for “static”, as in “statically linked”, “statically dispatched”, or “statically resolved”. The term static just means that something can be done at compile time, in contrast to run time (where we'd talk about dynamic linking/dispatching/resolution/binding).

Some languages derive additional meanings for static from this primary meaning:

• static variable lifetime in C and C++: The storage can be allocated at compile time, in contrast to automatic variables that are allocated on the stack, and instance members that are allocated as part of the enclosing object.

• static methods in mainstream OOP languages: may be methods that do not use dynamic dispatch, or free functions inside a class namespace. Here, “static” is used in the sense “not dynamic” and “not belonging to an object”.

Answer 2

Static methods

is what came to mind when reading the title.
Reading the content confirmed it as you yourself noted.

Answer 3

The term is called Compile Time Function Evaluation