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  4. A funny thing happened to me. Who can explain?

A funny thing happened to me. Who can explain?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved C / C++ / MFC
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  • V V 0

    if you do this: int a = 10; => a is the value AND &a is the pointer int* p = 100; => *p is the value AND p is the pointer thus if I see correctly: int* p=(int*)&a; means that *p = 10 (* and & are opposites) and p and &a are still different. (you should do p = &a; if you would like to copy pointers) Then again I could be mistaken (you always do working with pointers)

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    Cedric Moonen
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    V. wrote: int* p = 100; => *p is the value AND p is the pointer Yes but he is assigning the adress of a in p just before: int* p=(int*)&a; So p and &a are the same (in this case, the adress of &a).

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    • A Antony M Kancidrowski

      and if you output *(int*)&a rather than a? ;P Ant.

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      toxcct
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      where do you see a difference between *(int*)&a and a you, except in confusing the reader ?? :~


      TOXCCT >>> GEII power

      A 1 Reply Last reply
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      • T toxcct

        what do you think "const" mean ? constipated ? for me (and for C/C++ also), it means "constant", that is, you cannot modify it ! that's all....


        TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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        Cedric Moonen
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        Yes of course I know this (I'm not completely stupid ;P) but if you try to change the contents of it, you will have a compile error. Or here, you change it by another way (using the adress of the variable). And there is no errors BUT the adress p and the adress &a are the same but their contents are different so there is something strange (two pointers that are pointing at exactly the same adress but the values they hold are different X| )!! It would be normal if *p still contain 10 at the end (that menas the content of a was unchanged)

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        • N nguyenvhn

          When doing my homework, I had this code: .... int main(){ const int a=10; int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; int i=a; cout << "p=" << p << endl; cout << "&a=" << &a << endl; cout << "*p=" << *p << endl; cout << "a=" << a << endl; cout << "i=" << i << endl; return 0; } Here is the output: p=0012FF7C &a=0012FF7C *p=100 a=10 i=10 I guessed that a had to be 100, but it's 10. It seem that compiler has replaced all instance of variable a to 10 at compile time, event if a has been allocated a storage. So the trick to change a constant by casting its pointer is not effect. Is that right? Any comment is welcome. Thanks.

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          nguyenvhn
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          To all: const int a=10;//Declare an int constant and init 10 int* p=(int*)&a; //Declare an int pointer p and point to address of a. *p=100;//Change where p pointed to 100 int i=a;//Declare an int variable i and init i to value of a. cout << "p=" << p << endl;//Print p value (address) cout << "&a=" << &a << endl;//Print address of a cout << "*p=" << *p << endl;//Print value at where p pointed to cout << "a=" << a << endl;//Print value of a cout << "i=" << i << endl;//Print value of i And the result: p=0012FF7C //Point to the same address of a &a=0012FF7C //Point to the same address of p *p=100 //But one value is 100 a=10 //And here the other value is 10 i=10 //And here the value is 10 too. p and a have the same memory address. But it's value is difference. Why that? PS: if I write: int* p=&a, compiler will compain as an error. So I have used a trick by casting int* p=(int*)&a. In this case, compiler ignore.

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          • N nguyenvhn

            When doing my homework, I had this code: .... int main(){ const int a=10; int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; int i=a; cout << "p=" << p << endl; cout << "&a=" << &a << endl; cout << "*p=" << *p << endl; cout << "a=" << a << endl; cout << "i=" << i << endl; return 0; } Here is the output: p=0012FF7C &a=0012FF7C *p=100 a=10 i=10 I guessed that a had to be 100, but it's 10. It seem that compiler has replaced all instance of variable a to 10 at compile time, event if a has been allocated a storage. So the trick to change a constant by casting its pointer is not effect. Is that right? Any comment is welcome. Thanks.

            C Offline
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            Christopher Lloyd
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            Well it gives a==100 on my compiler! But i==10. I'd imagine that the problem was set to explain why i != a. You're right that the compiler effectively replaces all references to a with the value 10, and that's why i == 10 (because the compiler sees this line as being i = 10) but the value a does have a physical address and using the two lines: int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; should change a. If I was you I'd debug the code and then look at the disassembly, there everything should become clear. In my compiler it gives this: 1844: const int a=10; 0050D1BF mov dword ptr [a],0Ah 1845: int* p=(int*)&a; 0050D1C6 lea eax,[a] 0050D1C9 mov dword ptr [p],eax 1846: *p=100; 0050D1CC mov ecx,dword ptr [p] 0050D1CF mov dword ptr [ecx],64h 1847: int i=a; 0050D1D5 mov dword ptr [i],0Ah Here it's clear that a will be changed to 100 in line 1846 and also that i will be set to 10 in line 1847. By the way, const isn't magic, it just tells the compiler that you shouldn't be able to change a using a line like a = 20; it doesn't add some kind of 'lock' to a meaning it can never change. Oh yeah, I've just spotted why a is 10 in your output. Because you output a which has been replaced at compile time with 10!!

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            • C Cedric Moonen

              Yes of course I know this (I'm not completely stupid ;P) but if you try to change the contents of it, you will have a compile error. Or here, you change it by another way (using the adress of the variable). And there is no errors BUT the adress p and the adress &a are the same but their contents are different so there is something strange (two pointers that are pointing at exactly the same adress but the values they hold are different X| )!! It would be normal if *p still contain 10 at the end (that menas the content of a was unchanged)

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              toxcct
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              in fact, the compiler don't say anything because const is an identifier for the compiler, and as we don't explicitely write into variable a, there is no compile error. but a is still const (certainly not even in the stack...) so *p cannot access the value correctly to alter it.


              TOXCCT >>> GEII power

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • T toxcct

                what do you think "const" mean ? constipated ? for me (and for C/C++ also), it means "constant", that is, you cannot modify it ! that's all....


                TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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                Anonymous
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                Sounds like your constipated!!!!!:mad:

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                • A Anonymous

                  Sounds like your constipated!!!!!:mad:

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                  toxcct
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  hey man, first, you write as an anonymous, and secondly, where did you sense of humour go ??? did you trash it ? :-D


                  TOXCCT >>> GEII power

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • T toxcct

                    what do you think "const" mean ? constipated ? for me (and for C/C++ also), it means "constant", that is, you cannot modify it ! that's all....


                    TOXCCT >>> GEII power

                    A Offline
                    A Offline
                    Anonymous
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    Sounds like your are constipated!!!!:mad:

                    T 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • A Anonymous

                      Sounds like your are constipated!!!!:mad:

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                      toxcct
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      pouet pouet pouet traallalalilouuu


                      TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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                      • C Christopher Lloyd

                        Well it gives a==100 on my compiler! But i==10. I'd imagine that the problem was set to explain why i != a. You're right that the compiler effectively replaces all references to a with the value 10, and that's why i == 10 (because the compiler sees this line as being i = 10) but the value a does have a physical address and using the two lines: int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; should change a. If I was you I'd debug the code and then look at the disassembly, there everything should become clear. In my compiler it gives this: 1844: const int a=10; 0050D1BF mov dword ptr [a],0Ah 1845: int* p=(int*)&a; 0050D1C6 lea eax,[a] 0050D1C9 mov dword ptr [p],eax 1846: *p=100; 0050D1CC mov ecx,dword ptr [p] 0050D1CF mov dword ptr [ecx],64h 1847: int i=a; 0050D1D5 mov dword ptr [i],0Ah Here it's clear that a will be changed to 100 in line 1846 and also that i will be set to 10 in line 1847. By the way, const isn't magic, it just tells the compiler that you shouldn't be able to change a using a line like a = 20; it doesn't add some kind of 'lock' to a meaning it can never change. Oh yeah, I've just spotted why a is 10 in your output. Because you output a which has been replaced at compile time with 10!!

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                        Cedric Moonen
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        Finally it's clear :-D !! Yes ok, I didn't know that the compiler really replace all occurences of a by it's value (so acting like a #define in fact). What did you win ;P ??

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                        • N nguyenvhn

                          When doing my homework, I had this code: .... int main(){ const int a=10; int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; int i=a; cout << "p=" << p << endl; cout << "&a=" << &a << endl; cout << "*p=" << *p << endl; cout << "a=" << a << endl; cout << "i=" << i << endl; return 0; } Here is the output: p=0012FF7C &a=0012FF7C *p=100 a=10 i=10 I guessed that a had to be 100, but it's 10. It seem that compiler has replaced all instance of variable a to 10 at compile time, event if a has been allocated a storage. So the trick to change a constant by casting its pointer is not effect. Is that right? Any comment is welcome. Thanks.

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                          Antony M Kancidrowski
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #21

                          OK seriously, You should not cast away the const-ness of objects that were originally defined as being const and on which non-const operations are being executed. Doing this, results in undefined behaviour. http://www.uwyn.com/resources/uwyn_cpp_coding_standard/x629.html[^] Ant.

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                          • T toxcct

                            where do you see a difference between *(int*)&a and a you, except in confusing the reader ?? :~


                            TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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                            A Offline
                            Antony M Kancidrowski
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #22

                            Try it in VC 6 you will be amazed, anyway see my other post WRT casting away const-ness. Ant.

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                            • C Christopher Lloyd

                              Well it gives a==100 on my compiler! But i==10. I'd imagine that the problem was set to explain why i != a. You're right that the compiler effectively replaces all references to a with the value 10, and that's why i == 10 (because the compiler sees this line as being i = 10) but the value a does have a physical address and using the two lines: int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; should change a. If I was you I'd debug the code and then look at the disassembly, there everything should become clear. In my compiler it gives this: 1844: const int a=10; 0050D1BF mov dword ptr [a],0Ah 1845: int* p=(int*)&a; 0050D1C6 lea eax,[a] 0050D1C9 mov dword ptr [p],eax 1846: *p=100; 0050D1CC mov ecx,dword ptr [p] 0050D1CF mov dword ptr [ecx],64h 1847: int i=a; 0050D1D5 mov dword ptr [i],0Ah Here it's clear that a will be changed to 100 in line 1846 and also that i will be set to 10 in line 1847. By the way, const isn't magic, it just tells the compiler that you shouldn't be able to change a using a line like a = 20; it doesn't add some kind of 'lock' to a meaning it can never change. Oh yeah, I've just spotted why a is 10 in your output. Because you output a which has been replaced at compile time with 10!!

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                              Antony M Kancidrowski
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #23

                              Yea it seems that the compiler has optimised itself here since a was declared const! :) Ant.

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                              • N nguyenvhn

                                When doing my homework, I had this code: .... int main(){ const int a=10; int* p=(int*)&a; *p=100; int i=a; cout << "p=" << p << endl; cout << "&a=" << &a << endl; cout << "*p=" << *p << endl; cout << "a=" << a << endl; cout << "i=" << i << endl; return 0; } Here is the output: p=0012FF7C &a=0012FF7C *p=100 a=10 i=10 I guessed that a had to be 100, but it's 10. It seem that compiler has replaced all instance of variable a to 10 at compile time, event if a has been allocated a storage. So the trick to change a constant by casting its pointer is not effect. Is that right? Any comment is welcome. Thanks.

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                                David Crow
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                nguyenvhn wrote: const int a=10; This simply means that you cannot modify memory address 0x0012FF7C through variable a. The address is not read-only, the variable is. make sense?


                                "The pointy end goes in the other man." - Antonio Banderas (Zorro, 1998)

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                                • D David Crow

                                  nguyenvhn wrote: const int a=10; This simply means that you cannot modify memory address 0x0012FF7C through variable a. The address is not read-only, the variable is. make sense?


                                  "The pointy end goes in the other man." - Antonio Banderas (Zorro, 1998)

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                                  toxcct
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

                                  teu teu teu, read the other posts before saying so, especially "Christopher Lloyd"'s one :(


                                  TOXCCT >>> GEII power

                                  D 1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • T toxcct

                                    teu teu teu, read the other posts before saying so, especially "Christopher Lloyd"'s one :(


                                    TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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                                    D Offline
                                    David Crow
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    In which case he states that "it just tells the compiler that you shouldn't be able to change a using a line like a = 20" In my post, I stated that "you cannot modify memory address 0x0012FF7C through variable a" What's your point?


                                    "The pointy end goes in the other man." - Antonio Banderas (Zorro, 1998)

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                                    • D David Crow

                                      In which case he states that "it just tells the compiler that you shouldn't be able to change a using a line like a = 20" In my post, I stated that "you cannot modify memory address 0x0012FF7C through variable a" What's your point?


                                      "The pointy end goes in the other man." - Antonio Banderas (Zorro, 1998)

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                                      toxcct
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

                                      yes you can const is only a specification for the compiler!!! if you had read all the posts here, you would have seen that we already said that also... and i even that i was thinking like you ! :mad:


                                      TOXCCT >>> GEII power

                                      D 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • T toxcct

                                        yes you can const is only a specification for the compiler!!! if you had read all the posts here, you would have seen that we already said that also... and i even that i was thinking like you ! :mad:


                                        TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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                                        David Crow
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #28

                                        Then how would you propose changing the value through variable a?


                                        "The pointy end goes in the other man." - Antonio Banderas (Zorro, 1998)

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                                        • D David Crow

                                          Then how would you propose changing the value through variable a?


                                          "The pointy end goes in the other man." - Antonio Banderas (Zorro, 1998)

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                                          toxcct
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

                                          by a pointer to its address. int* p = &a;. this works, but badly, the compiler replaced each occurence of a by its value (10 here). that is why, even if the value contained at the adress of a is changed, the compiler used each a uses as a #define. int d = a; will affect 10 to d, even if the line before was *p = 100;. Do we now understand better ?


                                          TOXCCT >>> GEII power

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