what does "... discards qualifiers" mean ?

Hi,

I have this piece of code:

Code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

class Float
{
	public:
		Float() : Value(0.0f) {}
		Float(float NewValue) :Value(NewValue) {}
		~Float() {}
		
		const Float operator+ (Float F)
			{
				return Float(F.Value+Value);
			}
	
	protected:
		float Value;
};

class Vector2D
{
	public:
		Vector2D() : X(0.0f), Y(0.0f){}
		Vector2D(Float NewX, Float NewY) : X(NewX), Y(NewY) {}
		~Vector2D() {}
		
		Float X, Y;
		
	protected:
};

class SomeThing
{
	public:
		SomeThing() {}
		~SomeThing() {}
		
		//if I take away 'const' in the beginning of next line, everything is ok
		const Vector2D getVector() const {return Vector;}
		
	protected:
		Vector2D Vector;
};

int main() 
{
	SomeThing Thing;
	
	Float K=Thing.getVector().X + Thing.getVector().Y;
}

When I try to compile it, I get following error:

main.cpp:49: error: passing `const Float' as `this' argument of `const Float
Float::operator+(Float)' discards qualifiers

What does that mean?

But if I take away the const modifier before SomeThing::getVector() - as the comment in the code above indicates - everything compiles fine...

thanx :)

it means that in order for it to do what you are telling it, it would have to discard the qualifier const that your function is returning. My suggestion is that your return value does not, and propably should not be const. Any user of your class would expect to be able to modify the result of an addition operation.

Float operator+ (Float F);

is a better solution unless you have a specific reason to make it const then you would have to:

return const Float(F.Value+Value);

thanks alot