KB122540 - FIX: 'char *' Passed to 'const char * &' Violates Type Safety

MORE INFORMATION

A reference may only be initialized with an lvalue expression of the same type or a class derived from that type. If this is not the case, the reference must be declared const.

The following sample includes a non-const reference of type const char*, which is being initialized with an expression of type char*. The compiler should, but does not, generate an error. The program prints this string:

const_ptr = Xhis is a 'const char *'

Sample Code

/* Compile options needed: none
*/ 

#include <iostream.h>

onst char * const_ptr = "This is a 'const char *'";

void func ( const char* & reference) {
   reference = const_ptr;
}

void main() {
//  char *non_const_ptr = const_ptr;  // Not allowed.
   char *non_const_ptr;

//  *const_ptr = 'X';      // Not allowed.

   func( non_const_ptr );
   // 
   //  'const char *' is violated now.
   // 
   *non_const_ptr = 'X';    // Mess up first letter of string

   cout << "const_ptr = " << const_ptr << endl;

}

FIX: 'char ' Passed to 'const char &' Violates Type Safety

SYMPTOMS

RESOLUTION

STATUS

MORE INFORMATION

Sample Code