Different between int * const ptr ,const char *sPtr

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I read something about Using the const qualifier with pointers on C How to Program (Fifth edition) [Page 269 if you have it]. I know what a CONST is but I was wondering what is an

• int* const ptr
• const int *sPtr

What's the different between this 2 things. Why the const are able to change position? Thanks

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For the former, the const applies to the token of the left, i.e., the pointer itself is const. For the latter, it applies to the int, i.e., what the pointer points to is const.

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errr. i still lost

[laserlight]

Try: What's the difference between const char *p, char const *p, and char * const p?

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Q: What's the difference between const char *p, char const *p, and char * const p?
A: The first two are interchangeable; they declare a pointer to a constant character (you can't change any pointed-to characters). char * const p declares a constant pointer to a (variable) character (i.e. you can't change the pointer).

Srry i still don't understand. What's the purpose of declaring those things const char* p, char const *p, and char* const p. It make me blur! when a const is added.

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Isn't const char*p means it's a pointer of character type with a condition not to modify it's value

[laserlight]

What's the purpose of declaring those things const char* p, char const *p, and char* const p.

The first two are equivalent, and a common use for them is when you want to point to the first character of a string literal, e.g.,

const char *s = "hello";

This way, if you attempt to modify the string literal through the pointer, the compiler will complain, which is a Good Thing since modifying a string literal results in undefined behaviour.

[iMalc]

const char* p

You can modify this pointer to point to something else, but whatever thing it points to at any given moment, you can't modify that thing using this pointer. char const *p means the same thing.

char* const p

You can't modify this pointer to point to something else at all, but you can modify the thing that it forever points to as much as you like.


Last, but not least, you can combine these two:

const char* const p

This pointer can't be made to point to something else, and the data that it points to also can't be modified.

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aw. I'm still in the forest finding my path. It's so hard to understand. Maybe i would ignore this first