const pointers

[saransh60]

I did'nt understand here in this code i was reading a book and then

const char *q="Hello"; //string is fixed pointer is not
*q='M'// error
q="bye"; //works

char * const t="Hello"; //string is fixed pointer is not
*t='M'// works
t="bye"; //error

so my question is in first if string is fixed then how q="bye" is working

[nbaztec]

lets make it a bit simpler:

int foo = 5;
const int cfoo = 10;
const int* p = &foo;  //Pointer to constant
//Since it's a pointer to a constant, *p = 10 won't work
int* const p = &cfoo; //Constant pointer (initialization necessary)
//Since it's a constant pointer: 
//1. It should be initialized upon declaration
//2. It can't be reassigned another address to point.

Hope that clears up. See: http://www.codeguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357915

[saransh60]

But string being a constant can't be changed q="bye" is changing "hello" to "bye" so how it's constant

[nbaztec]

Pay attention closely, the string is *not* changing, the pointer is. To change the string you'll have to dereference the pointer.( *ptr = "newString" )