immutable/mutable aliasing

[Ali Çehreli via Digitalmars-d-learn]

On 07/03/2014 01:43 PM, Jet wrote:

 > void foo(immutable int* x, int* y) {
 >   bar(*x); // bar(3)
 >   *y = 4;  // undefined behavior
 >   bar(*x); // bar(??)
 > }
 > ...
 > int i = 3;
 > foo(cast(immutable)&i, &i);
 > ----------------------------------
 > In the 2.065 version, I can compile. But that is not in the 
documentation.

In addition to the excellent responses in this thread, this is how I 
like to describe the semantics between const versus immutable references 
(including pointers) on a function interface:

- const reference or pointer parameter: "I will not modify your data."

- immutable reference or pointer parameter: "I demand data from you that 
nobody will modify."

When the semantics are described that way, they are not related at all: 
One is a promise to the caller, the other is a request from the caller.

Ali