diff --git a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/aliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/aliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll
index 41e1a4c3082d..7871ddb16189 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/aliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/aliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll
@@ -396,9 +396,7 @@ private int maxColumnWidth() {
 }
 
 private string getPaddingString(int n) {
-  n = 0 and result = ""
-  or
-  n > 0 and n <= maxColumnWidth() and result = getPaddingString(n - 1) + " "
+  n = [0 .. maxColumnWidth()] and result = concat(int i | i in [1 .. n] | " ")
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/PrintIR.qll b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/PrintIR.qll
index 41e1a4c3082d..7871ddb16189 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/PrintIR.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/raw/PrintIR.qll
@@ -396,9 +396,7 @@ private int maxColumnWidth() {
 }
 
 private string getPaddingString(int n) {
-  n = 0 and result = ""
-  or
-  n > 0 and n <= maxColumnWidth() and result = getPaddingString(n - 1) + " "
+  n = [0 .. maxColumnWidth()] and result = concat(int i | i in [1 .. n] | " ")
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/unaliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/unaliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll
index 41e1a4c3082d..7871ddb16189 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/unaliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll
+++ b/cpp/ql/lib/semmle/code/cpp/ir/implementation/unaliased_ssa/PrintIR.qll
@@ -396,9 +396,7 @@ private int maxColumnWidth() {
 }
 
 private string getPaddingString(int n) {
-  n = 0 and result = ""
-  or
-  n > 0 and n <= maxColumnWidth() and result = getPaddingString(n - 1) + " "
+  n = [0 .. maxColumnWidth()] and result = concat(int i | i in [1 .. n] | " ")
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/c/code_blocks.ql b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/c/code_blocks.ql
index 1662525cae6e..647923eea563 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/c/code_blocks.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/c/code_blocks.ql
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
 import cpp
 
-predicate paramsString(Function f, int n, string res) {
-  if n = -1
-  then res = ""
-  else
-    exists(string sep |
-      (if n = 0 then sep = "" else sep = ", ") and
-      exists(string prefixRes |
-        paramsString(f, n - 1, prefixRes) and
-        res = prefixRes + sep + f.getParameter(n) + "(" + f.getParameter(n).getType() + ")"
-      )
+string paramsString(Function f) {
+  result =
+    concat(int i |
+      exists(f.getParameter(i))
+    |
+      f.getParameter(i) + "(" + f.getParameter(i).getType() + ")", ", " order by i
     )
 }
 
 from BlockExpr e, Function f, string params
 where
   f = e.getFunction() and
-  paramsString(f, f.getNumberOfParameters() - 1, params)
+  params = paramsString(f)
 select e, e.getType() as te, te.explain(), e.getFunction(), f.getType() as tf, tf.explain(), params
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/cpp/code_blocks.ql b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/cpp/code_blocks.ql
index 1662525cae6e..647923eea563 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/cpp/code_blocks.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/blocks/cpp/code_blocks.ql
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
 import cpp
 
-predicate paramsString(Function f, int n, string res) {
-  if n = -1
-  then res = ""
-  else
-    exists(string sep |
-      (if n = 0 then sep = "" else sep = ", ") and
-      exists(string prefixRes |
-        paramsString(f, n - 1, prefixRes) and
-        res = prefixRes + sep + f.getParameter(n) + "(" + f.getParameter(n).getType() + ")"
-      )
+string paramsString(Function f) {
+  result =
+    concat(int i |
+      exists(f.getParameter(i))
+    |
+      f.getParameter(i) + "(" + f.getParameter(i).getType() + ")", ", " order by i
     )
 }
 
 from BlockExpr e, Function f, string params
 where
   f = e.getFunction() and
-  paramsString(f, f.getNumberOfParameters() - 1, params)
+  params = paramsString(f)
 select e, e.getType() as te, te.explain(), e.getFunction(), f.getType() as tf, tf.explain(), params
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/cpp11_g/cfg.ql b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/cpp11_g/cfg.ql
index 105b4e709ee7..f4df06adde03 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/cpp11_g/cfg.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/cpp11_g/cfg.ql
@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 import cpp
 
-string arguments(Function f, int i) {
-  result = "," and i = -1
-  or
-  result = "" and i = min(int j | function_template_argument(unresolveElement(f), j, _)) - 1
-  or
-  result = arguments(f, i - 1) + "," + f.getTemplateArgument(i).toString()
+string arguments(Function f) {
+  result = concat(int i | | f.getTemplateArgument(i).toString(), "," order by i)
 }
 
 string name(Function f) {
   if f.isConstructedFrom(_)
-  then result = f.toString() + "<" + max(arguments(f, _)).suffix(1) + ">"
+  then result = f.toString() + "<" + arguments(f) + ">"
   else
     if f instanceof TemplateFunction
     then result = f.toString() + " prototype instantiation"
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/dataflow/dataflow-tests/has-parameter-flow-out.ql b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/dataflow/dataflow-tests/has-parameter-flow-out.ql
index 8f534be558d7..a7118463d96a 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/dataflow/dataflow-tests/has-parameter-flow-out.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/dataflow/dataflow-tests/has-parameter-flow-out.ql
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ module IRTest {
 
   private string stars(int k) {
     k = [0 .. max(DataFlow::Node n, int i | n.isFinalValueOfParameter(_, i) | i)] and
-    (if k = 0 then result = "" else result = "*" + stars(k - 1))
+    result = concat(int i | i in [1 .. k] | "*")
   }
 
   module IRParameterDefTest implements TestSig {
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/preprocessor/macroinvocations/getanaffectedelement.ql b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/preprocessor/macroinvocations/getanaffectedelement.ql
index 83ab99ccdfd7..a3ff56942431 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/preprocessor/macroinvocations/getanaffectedelement.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/preprocessor/macroinvocations/getanaffectedelement.ql
@@ -14,20 +14,8 @@ predicate reason(MacroInvocation mi, Element e, string reason) {
   mi.getEnclosingFunction() = e and reason = "getEnclosingFunction()"
 }
 
-string reasonspart(MacroInvocation mi, Element e) {
-  reason(mi, e, result)
-  or
-  exists(string a, string b |
-    a = reasonspart(mi, e) and
-    reason(mi, e, b) and
-    not a.splitAt(" ") >= b and
-    result = a + " " + b
-  )
-}
-
 string reasons(MacroInvocation mi, Element e) {
-  result = reasonspart(mi, e) and
-  not reasonspart(mi, e).length() > result.length()
+  result = concat(string reason | reason(mi, e, reason) | reason, " " order by reason)
 }
 
 from MacroInvocation mi, Element e
diff --git a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/sideEffects/functions/sideEffects.ql b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/sideEffects/functions/sideEffects.ql
index d2705040373a..d749031f7fb3 100644
--- a/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/sideEffects/functions/sideEffects.ql
+++ b/cpp/ql/test/library-tests/sideEffects/functions/sideEffects.ql
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 import cpp
 
-string functionType(Function f, int i) {
-  if exists(f.getParameter(i))
-  then result = f.getParameter(i).getType().toString() + " -> " + functionType(f, i + 1)
-  else (
-    i = f.getNumberOfParameters() and result = f.getType().toString()
-  )
+string functionType(Function f) {
+  if exists(f.getParameter(_))
+  then
+    result =
+      concat(int i | | f.getParameter(i).getType().toString(), " -> " order by i) + " -> " +
+        f.getType().toString()
+  else result = f.getType().toString()
 }
 
 from Function f, boolean b
 where if f.isSideEffectFree() then b = true else b = false
-select f, functionType(f, 0), b
+select f, functionType(f), b