const debacle

[Janice Caron]

On 24/03/2008, Bill Baxter <dnewsgroup at billbaxter.com> wrote:
> Steven Schveighoffer wrote:
>  > I also want to be able to specify that the compiler should
>  > complain if the function modifies the mutable input.
>
> I think that right there is basically the *only* think I really want out
>  of a const system.  And even for that "best effort" is good enough for
>  me.

No less than three working solutions have been mentioned on this
thread: a template solution, suggested by me; a solution using an
explicit cast suggested by Daniel919; and the notion of returning
indeces suggested by me. How many more working solutions do we need?
This is a solved problem.