references to constant objects

[Ruben]

re-reviewing the chapter in Lippan and Lajoie C++ Primer the have a
section on references that I don't understand and just makes e shake my
head believing that any behavior is possible with references and that they
can never be understood. Maybe someone else can rephrase this so that I
understand the defined behavior.

cont int ival = 1024;

//error: requires a const reference
int *&pr_ref = &ival; //<<== this seems obvious as a const obj must use
a pointer to a constant object

"Our first attempt to correct the definition is pi_ref might be the
following, but it dos not work-do you see why?

//Still and error (and no, I don't see why)

const int *&pi_ref = &ival;

"If we read this definition from right to left, we discover that pi_ref is
a reference to a pointer to an object of type in defined to be a const (to
which I'm think - yeah - so what! That is exactly what I need!) Our
reference isn't to a constant but rather a noncontant pointer that
addresses a contant object( and why does that not work! i need a point to
a const, not a const pointer!). the correct definition is as follows:

const int ival = 1024;

//ok: this is accepted

int * const &pi_ref = &ival;

(Why - through this I can change the value of a constant object to any
integer)
Ruben

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[blargg]

In article <pa****************************@www2.mrbrklyn.com> ,
Ruben <ru***@www2.mrbrklyn.comwrote:
[...]

cont int ival = 1024;

//error: requires a const reference
int *&pr_ref = &ival; //<<== this seems obvious as a const obj must use
a pointer to a constant object

"Our first attempt to correct the definition is pi_ref might be the
following, but it dos not work-do you see why?

//Still and error (and no, I don't see why)

const int *&pi_ref = &ival;

For the same reason that this is an error:

int i = 10;
double& d = i; // error

If it were allowed, modifications to d would modify a temporary, which
is probably not what the programmer intended. If he really wanted a
reference and wasn't going to modify its referent, he should make it to
a const object:

int i = 10;
double const& d = i; // OK

[Ruben]

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:35:34 -0500, blargg wrote:

>const int *&pi_ref = &ival;

For the same reason that this is an error:

int i = 10;
double& d = i; // error

If it were allowed, modifications to d would modify a temporary, which is
probably not what the programmer intended. If he really wanted a reference
and wasn't going to modify its referent, he should make it to a const
object:

int i = 10;
double const& d = i; // OK

Thank for the swift answer. This makes e ask two questions though. Why
is a temp value being made in this case and how do we reconcile that the
type being referenced is still a point to a const int?

Ruben

--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software

So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998

http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002

"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society."

"I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.<
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess you missed that one."

© Copyright for the Digital Millennium

[Rolf Magnus]

Ruben wrote:

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:35:34 -0500, blargg wrote:

>>const int *&pi_ref = &ival;

For the same reason that this is an error:

int i = 10;
double& d = i; // error

If it were allowed, modifications to d would modify a temporary, which is
probably not what the programmer intended. If he really wanted a
reference and wasn't going to modify its referent, he should make it to a
const object:

int i = 10;
double const& d = i; // OK

Thank for the swift answer. This makes e ask two questions though. Why
is a temp value being made in this case and how do we reconcile that the
type being referenced is still a point to a const int?

Well, pi_ref is a reference to a pointer. But where is that pointer? Can you
name it?

[blargg]

In article <ga*************@news.t-online.com>,
Rolf Magnus <ra******@t-online.dewrote:

Ruben wrote:

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:35:34 -0500, blargg wrote:

>const int *&pi_ref = &ival;

For the same reason that this is an error:

int i = 10;
double& d = i; // error

If it were allowed, modifications to d would modify a temporary, which is
probably not what the programmer intended. If he really wanted a
reference and wasn't going to modify its referent, he should make it to a
const object:

int i = 10;
double const& d = i; // OK

Thank for the swift answer. This makes e ask two questions though. Why
is a temp value being made in this case and how do we reconcile that the
type being referenced is still a point to a const int?

Well, pi_ref is a reference to a pointer. But where is that pointer? Can you
name it?

Maybe a closer analog to his pointer example is this:

int i = 0;
double& d = (double) i; // error

Sure, we're explicitly making the double (pointer in the original
example), but it's still a temporary.

[mqrk]

On Sep 13, 8:03 am, Ruben <[e-mail]:

const int ival = 1024;

//ok: this is accepted

int * const &pi_ref = &ival;

(Why - through this I can change the value of a constant object to any
integer)

It shouldn't be accepted. Both consts are needed, like this:

const int * const & pi_ref = &ival;

&ival is a const int*, so the first const is needed. The second const
is needed because you're taking a reference to a temporary. Leaving
out either gives an error (g++ 4.1.3)

--Mark McKenna

[Ruben]

On Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:25:29 -0700, mqrk wrote:

On Sep 13, 8:03 am, Ruben <[e-mail]:

>const int ival = 1024;

//ok: this is accepted

int * const &pi_ref = &ival;

(Why - through this I can change the value of a constant object to any
integer)

It shouldn't be accepted. Both consts are needed, like this:

const int * const & pi_ref = &ival;

&ival is a const int*, so the first const is needed. The second const is
needed because you're taking a reference to a temporary. Leaving out
either gives an error (g++ 4.1.3)

--Mark McKenna

That's what I thought. I should give this a try and see how it works.

Ruben

--
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Interesting Stuff
http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software

So many immigrant groups have swept through our town that Brooklyn, like Atlantis, reaches mythological proportions in the mind of the world - RI Safir 1998

http://fairuse.nylxs.com DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS - RI Safir 2002

"Yeah - I write Free Software...so SUE ME"

"The tremendous problem we face is that we are becoming sharecroppers to our own cultural heritage -- we need the ability to participate in our own society."

"I'm an engineer. I choose the best tool for the job, politics be damned.<
You must be a stupid engineer then, because politcs and technology have been attached at the hip since the 1st dynasty in Ancient Egypt. I guess you missed that one."

© Copyright for the Digital Millennium