Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.lang.c > #163242

Re: on the order of the const-keyword

Show all headers | View raw

David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> writes:

> On 28/10/2021 17:50, Meredith Montgomery wrote:
>> These seem legal declarations in C:
>> 
>>   const char msg[9] = "warming:";
>>   char const msg[9] = "warming:";
>> 
>> What's the difference between them?
>> 
>
> Nothing.
>
> Both mean that the array is made of "const char" elements - after you
> have initialised the array, you can't change them.
>
>
> A lot of people prefer the "const on the left" arrangement :
>
> 	const int x = 123;
>
> It is very common to use this ordering - many programmers feel it is
> more natural.
>
>
> Some people prefer the "const on the right" arrangement (known as "east
> const") :
>
> 	int const x = 123;
>
> The argument there is that it is more consistent, especially in C++
> (which has a few other possible uses of the word "const").
>
>
>
> It is fair to say that the "east const" is more consistent when you have
> more complicated declarations involving pointers with "const" applied to
> different parts.  That does not mean that it is the clearest way to
> write simple declarations, which are far more common.  So opinions
> differ here.  You have to learn to understand the placement options as
> you will see both when you read other people's code, and you have to
> decide for yourself which you choose in your own code (unless you are
> using a set of style guidelines that forces the decision on you).
>
>
> The general rule is "const applies to the thing just to the left of it,
> unless there is nothing to the left of it and it then applies to the
> thing to the right of it".  This fits well with the usual best tactic
> for parsing most types - start from the right and work left.

Pretty useful guidance.  Thank you.  I will try that from now on.

You spoke of consistency above, but your paragraphs sometimes skip one
line, sometimes two lines, sometimes three lines.  What's up with that?

                                  :-)

Back to comp.lang.c | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-28 12:50 -0300
  Re: on the order of the const-keyword Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-28 17:25 +0100
    Re: on the order of the const-keyword "james...@alumni.caltech.edu" <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-28 10:10 -0700
      Re: on the order of the const-keyword Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-10-28 20:40 +0200
      Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-29 00:07 -0300
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-29 00:48 -0400
    Re: on the order of the const-keyword Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2021-10-28 12:56 -0700
      Re: on the order of the const-keyword Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2021-10-28 13:18 -0700
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-28 21:35 +0100
          Re: on the order of the const-keyword Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2021-10-28 13:57 -0700
            Re: on the order of the const-keyword Thiago Adams <thiago.adams@gmail.com> - 2021-10-28 14:07 -0700
              Re: on the order of the const-keyword Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-28 22:54 +0100
              Re: on the order of the const-keyword Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-28 15:37 -0700
                Re: on the order of the const-keyword Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-29 00:02 +0100
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-28 22:10 +0100
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-10-28 15:13 -0700
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-29 00:40 -0300
    Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-28 23:48 -0300
  Re: on the order of the const-keyword James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2021-10-28 13:04 -0400
    Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-29 00:34 -0300
  Re: on the order of the const-keyword David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-29 10:03 +0200
    Re: on the order of the const-keyword Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-29 11:30 +0100
      Re: on the order of the const-keyword David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-29 16:31 +0200
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-29 16:45 +0100
          Re: on the order of the const-keyword David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-29 18:30 +0200
            Re: on the order of the const-keyword Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-10-30 00:32 +0200
              Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-29 20:03 -0300
              Re: on the order of the const-keyword Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-10-30 01:10 +0100
            Re: on the order of the const-keyword Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-10-29 23:51 +0100
    Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-29 12:22 -0300
      Re: on the order of the const-keyword David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-10-29 18:34 +0200
        Re: on the order of the const-keyword Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-10-29 17:04 -0300

csiph-web