[comp.std.c++] const reference, not reference to const

daniel@cis.ucsc.edu (Daniel Edelson) (08/26/90)

Earlier I asked if anyone knows of useful non-null semantics
for a const reference. Several people have sent me mail saying 
that a const reference makes it impossible to modify the referant. 
However these people are confusing a constant reference with a reference
to a const, i.e., I was discussing:
	T & const r;

The other:
	const T & r;
has distinct though not completely agreed-upon semantics.
I apologize for not enclosing an example in my original posting
that would have prevented this confusion.

Daniel Edelson                       |  ``C++ is not too complex,
daniel@cis.ucsc.edu, or              |  job security is important.''
..!sun!practic!peren!daniel         |