I can't understand this "const*&" stands for?

[hoox2]

void push_front(Node const*& head, int data);
Can someone tell me what it means for "const*&"? A reference or a pointer?

[Jakob Bieling]

"hoox2" <xx*@sss.com> wrote in message news:bl*********@rain.i-cable.com...

void push_front(Node const*& head, int data);
Can someone tell me what it means for "const*&"? A reference or a pointer?

Both, sort of *g* Read everything from right to left: 'head' is a
reference to a pointer to a constant 'Node'. This means the passed pointer
can be modified by the function, but the object the pointer points to cannot
be modified.

hth
--
jb

(replace y with x if you want to reply by e-mail)

[David B. Held]

"hoox2" <xx*@sss.com> wrote in message news:bl*********@rain.i-cable.com...

void push_front(Node const*& head, int data);
Can someone tell me what it means for "const*&"? A
reference or a pointer?

Except for an initial const, these kinds of types should be
understood from left to right:

Node const x; // a const object of type Node
Node const* x; // a pointer to a const Node object
Node const* &x; // a reference to a pointer to a const Node

My guess is that push_front() is an operation that works
on lists, which is probably why it takes head by reference.
Since the function probably doesn't need to modify the
pointed-to Node object, it takes that as const. Since it
is probably going to modify the head pointer, it takes
that as non-const &.

Dave

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[Jonathan Mcdougall]

> void push_front(Node const*& head, int data);

Can someone tell me what it means for "const*&"? A reference or a pointer?

A const reference to a pointer. The function probably reset your pointer
to 0, meaning it takes ownership of the object, though the name 'head' makes
me wonder about that.
Jonathan

[Howard]

"Jonathan Mcdougall" <jo***************@DELyahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:vW********************@weber.videotron.net...

void push_front(Node const*& head, int data);
Can someone tell me what it means for "const*&"? A reference or a

pointer?
A const reference to a pointer. The function probably reset your pointer
to 0, meaning it takes ownership of the object, though the name 'head' makes me wonder about that.

Nope...it's a reference to a pointer to a constant Node object, not a const
reference.

The const keyword could go in front of the Node and it would be the same,
but otherwise read it from right-to-left to get:
reference-to-pointer-to-const-Node.

-Howard


Jonathan

[Jonathan Mcdougall]

> > > void push_front(Node const*& head, int data);

Can someone tell me what it means for "const*&"? A reference or a pointer?

A const reference to a pointer. The function probably reset your

pointer to 0, meaning it takes ownership of the object, though the name 'head'

makes

me wonder about that.

Nope...it's a reference to a pointer to a constant Node object, not a

const reference.

The const keyword could go in front of the Node and it would be the same,
but otherwise read it from right-to-left to get:
reference-to-pointer-to-const-Node.

You're right, sorry.
Jonathan

[hoox2]

Thanks all of you for your valuable and helpful explanation.
Regards,
Ho