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Secure Coding Practices in C++: A Deep Dive into const

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Introduction

A Bit about const

Arguments using const

Arguments Against const const and Visual Noise How const may Confuse Developers Why does const matter?Key Takeaways Quiz

Local Variables

const Local Variables Key Takeaways Quiz

Local Members

const with Member Variables Unexpected Implications Find a Workaround Move Semantics Key Takeaways Quiz Exercise Solution

Functions

const Functions const Overloads Key Takeaways Quiz Exercise Solution

Return Types

const Return Types

Returning const References

Return const Pointers

int * const func() const

const int * func() const

const Parameters

const Primitive Data Type const Class Type Parameters Ignoring the const const Qualifier Key Takeaways Quiz

const and Smart Pointers

Smart Pointers as Pointers Smart Pointers as Objects Key Takeaways Quiz

Rvalue References

const Rvalue References Binding Rules Use of const Rvalue References Key Takeaways Quiz Exercise Solution

Summary

int * const func() const

Learn about the `const` with return pointers.

We'll cover the following

How constness of the returned pointer works?

What happens when both the function and the returned pointer are const, but the data we point to is modifiable? Returning a const pointer doesn’t make sense because the const will be ignored. Luckily the compiler also tells us this directly.

How constness of the returned pointer works?

But how does this const pointer work in practice? Let’s look at an example where the constness of a returned pointer is ignored.

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