Use of 'const' for function parameters

Question

How far do you go with const? Do you just make functions const when necessary or do you go the whole hog and use it everywhere? For example, imag

Answer 1

When I coded C++ for a living I consted everything I possibly could. Using const is a great way to help the compiler help you. For instance, const-ing your method return values can save you from typos such as:

foo() = 42

when you meant:

foo() == 42

If foo() is defined to return a non-const reference:

int& foo() { /* ... */ }

The compiler will happily let you assign a value to the anonymous temporary returned by the function call. Making it const:

const int& foo() { /* ... */ }

Eliminates this possibility.