Delphi: All constants are constant, but some are more constant than others?

Question

Consider:

const 
   clHotlight: TColor = $00FF9933;
   clLink = clHotLight; //alias of clHotlight

[Error] file.pas: Constant expression expected
         


        

Answer 1

I tried this code :

  const
    CAnswer1 = 42;
    CAnswer2 : Integer = 42;

  var
    LAnswer : Integer;

  begin
    LAnswer := CAnswer1;
    LAnswer := CAnswer2;
  end;

and here is the produced code :

Project9.dpr.18: LAnswer := CAnswer1;
004101AC C7056C6E41002A00 mov [$00416e6c],$0000002a //<- assign a hard-coded "42" value
Project9.dpr.19: LAnswer := CAnswer2;
004101B6 A1701C4100       mov eax,[$00411c70] //<- fetch a variable's content
004101BB A36C6E4100       mov [$00416e6c],eax //<- assign this content 

You are right : some constants are more constant than others. The second constant is actually treated by the compiler as a variable.