Suppose you have one million nodes in your list. Do you really want to go q->next->next->next->next->next->next->next->next->next->(omit hundreds of thousands of ->next)->next->next->next->next to get to the end?Originally Posted by Nazgulled
Yeah, that sounds "fast."
If you don't need to access it why the heck did you store it?Why would I need to access the last element?
So, you are saying to use that first code example with a temporary variable and make the queue argument const right? Ok, I get it, just a simple question. You say that if something tries to change the memory to a const variable, the compiler will output an error. Will it compile nevertheless? Should I just ignore that error? Will the user running my application see any error outputting on the screen or it's perfectly safe to do it?
Yes, that's what any "sane" programmer would doAt least those around here
Yes.You say that if something tries to change the memory to a const variable, the compiler will output an error.
No.Will it compile nevertheless?
No.Should I just ignore that error?
The user won't see anything since it won't compile.Will the user running my application see any error outputting on the screen or it's perfectly safe to do it?
Const is there to pretty you from mistakes, among other things.
I know it probably doesn't matter if the keyword is there in the final binary but it could help in future versions so I don't mess it up right? Though, I just want to know if that means that if I use const through the coding and reach a final state in my application and if the application compiles without errors I can simply ignore the const keyword and remove it, correct?
That's kinda the idea. Or one of them anyway.
No, const is not something you remove at will. You should always write const where applicable. If you write your code correctly, then const will not hinder your program's functionality.Though, I just want to know if that means that if I use const through the coding and reach a final state in my application and if the application compiles without errors I can simply ignore the const keyword and remove it, correct?
If the const gets in the way, then you need to rethink your design.
Don't remove const unless you put it there in error (for example, you put const on a variable that you need a function to modify or you use const on a function that sets data).
Ok, got it.
Thanks very much for all the help you provided. Thanks to everyone else too, all of you have been very helpful.
Programming is like an art. Don't forget this. You spend hours alone on thinking how you want to design and lay out your application code.
In the end, the result is the same to the user, but you YOU, the programmer, it's something different entirely. Const is part of your design. Structs are part of your design, functions are part of your design, and so on.
You just need to know how to lay out it properly and change it into something that works - and that is an art. Const is part of the art.
And just for reference, let me state, the design, the art, is never visible to the end user. They know thing how about how much complexity is involved in your program that seems so simple.
