Functions Part 2

H – const Parameters

In C++, you can mark a function's parameters as const to protect them from being changed. This is especially useful when passing variables by reference or as pointers, because by default, references and pointers give you access to the original value.

Adding const to your parameters helps in two major ways:

1. Prevents accidental changes to the variable inside the function

2. Allows the function to accept const values as input

This is a safety feature, and also a good habit when writing clean and reliable code.

Why use const with references? Let’s say you’re passing a large object like a string or vector. Instead of copying it (which wastes memory), you can pass it by reference, but if you don’t plan to modify it, you should use const to guarantee that it stays unchanged.