Article View: comp.std.c++
Article #271Re: casting "const" to "non-const"
From: hopper
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 1990 02:48
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 1990 02:48
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1902 bytes
In article <56163@microsoft.UUCP> jimad@microsoft.UUCP (Jim ADCOCK) writes:
>Proposed:
>
>That when a parameter [including the hidden "this" parameter] is declared
>"const", or when the object referenced by a parameter is declared "const",
>than it is not legal to modify that which is declared "const" within the
>function. This is to say, the trick of casting to a non-const does not
>work on a parameter declared as "const." Compilers can flag as an error
>these situations.
>
I don't agree with the illegalization of this construct. I think it
is against the spirit of the language to illegalize a cast.
In C, and C++ a cast is supposed to always work, no matter what
object you're casting. I think that it should be legal for compilers to
preform optimizations based on the information given by declaring a const
parameter, but programmers should be allowed to cast if they feel it
neccesary.
Have fun,
UUCP: rutgers!umn-cs!ux.acs.umn.edu!hopper (Eric Hopper)
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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uc!cs.umn.edu!ux.acs!hopper From: hopper@ux.acs.umn.edu (hopper) Newsgroups: comp.std.c++ Subject: Re: casting "const" to "non-const" Message-ID: <1913@ux.acs.umn.edu> Date: 31 Jul 90 02:48:36 GMT References: <56159@microsoft.UUCP> <56163@microsoft.UUCP> Reply-To: hopper@ux.acs.umn.edu (Nils McCarthy) Organization: Omnifarious Software Lines: 28