Pointers can be declared as const which, depending on where you apply it, means that the memory the pointer points to is read-only through the pointer, or the value of the pointer is read-only:
char c[] { "hello" }; // c can be used as a pointer *c = 'H'; // OK, can write thru the pointer const char *ptc {c}; // pointer to constant cout << ptc << endl; // OK, can read the memory pointed to *ptc = 'Y'; // cannot write to the memory char *const cp {c}; // constant pointer *cp = 'y'; // can write thru the pointer cp++; // cannot point to anything else
Here, ptc is a pointer to constant char, that is, although you can change what ptc points to, and you can read what it points to, you cannot use it to change the memory. ...
