Lies in education [was Re: The "loop and a half"]

[bartc]

On 12/10/2017 11:39, Stefan Ram wrote:
> bartc <bc at freeuk.com> writes:
>> (1) Define named constants; except (in C) they can't be used like
>> constant expressions, you can take their addresses, and accidentally or
>> maliciously change their values.
> 
>    When I think of »const«, I do not think of ROM.
> 
>    »const« makes code more readable, because it conveys the
>    intentions of the author and simplifies the mental variable
>    model of the reader.
> 
>    »const« helps to find inadvertend modifications.
> 
> void f( const int i ){ if( i = 4 )putchar( 'x' ); }

That's two undesirable language features: (1) Having to use 'const' in 
front of every simple parameter, so that 'const' now dominates every 
program; (2) Mixing up '=' and '=='.

You're saying it's OK to use both as they sort of cancel each other out!

(Other languages solve the =/== problem by either not allowing 
assignment within an expression, or by using a symbol for it that isn't 
so easily mistaken for equality.)

-- 
bartc