What is the difference between char * const and const char *?

Question

What\'s the difference between:

char * const 

and

const char *

Answer 1

Lots of answer provide specific techniques, rule of thumbs etc to understand this particular instance of variable declaration. But there is a generic technique of understand any declaration:

Clockwise/Spiral Rule

A)

const char *a;

As per the clockwise/spiral rule a is pointer to character that is constant. Which means character is constant but the pointer can change. i.e. a = "other string"; is fine but a[2] = 'c'; will fail to compile

B)

char * const a;

As per the rule, a is const pointer to a character. i.e. You can do a[2] = 'c'; but you cannot do a = "other string";