c++stliteratorconstants

What is the difference between const_iterator and non-const iterator in the C++ STL?


What is the difference between a const_iterator and an iterator and where would you use one over the other?


Solution

  • const_iterators don't allow you to change the values that they point to, regular iterators do.

    As with all things in C++, always prefer const, unless there's a good reason to use regular iterators (i.e. you want to use the fact that they're not const to change the pointed-to value).