Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!mit-amt!peter
From: peter@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Peter Schroeder)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: the use of const
Keywords: const
Message-ID: <740@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Date: 22 Sep 89 22:30:04 GMT
Organization: MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 16

Is it desirable from an efficiency point of view to use the const modifier
wherever applicable?
I find myself hardly using it, although many (most?) of my functions do not
change any of their arguments. I am wondering whether the compiler (cfront)
will actually generate "better" code if I give it these hints.

I understand the implications of its use as far as protecting myself, but
mostly functions are so small that I don't usually screw myself in this
way (type checking). On the other hand it is a nice hint to see a
declaration such as form(const char* ...) which tells me that a certain
argument will not be changed by the function....

Any advice/thoughts on this matter?

Peter
peter@media-lab.media.mit.edu