NAME

std::as_const - std::as_const

Synopsis

Defined in header <utility>
template< class T > (1) (since C++17)
constexpr std::add_const_t<T>& as_const( T& t ) noexcept;
template< class T > (2) (since C++17)
void as_const( const T&& ) = delete;

1) Forms lvalue reference to const type of t.
2) const rvalue reference overload is deleted to disallow rvalue arguments.

Possible implementation

template <class T>
constexpr std::add_const_t<T>& as_const(T& t) noexcept
{
return t;
}

Notes

Feature-test macro: __cpp_lib_as_const

Example

// Run this code

#include <string>
#include <cassert>
#include <utility>
#include <type_traits>

int main()
{
std::string mutableString = "Hello World!";
auto&& constRef = std::as_const(mutableString);

// mutableString.clear(); // OK
// constRef.clear(); // error: 'constRef' is 'const' qualified,
// but 'clear' is not marked const

assert( &constRef == &mutableString );
assert( &std::as_const( mutableString ) == &mutableString );

using ExprType = std::remove_reference_t<decltype(std::as_const(mutableString))>;

static_assert(std::is_same_v<std::remove_const_t<ExprType>, std::string>,
"ExprType should be some kind of string." );
static_assert(!std::is_same_v<ExprType, std::string>,
"ExprType shouldn't be a mutable string." );
}

See also

is_const checks if a type is const-qualified
(C++11) (class template)
add_cv
add_const
add_volatile adds const or/and volatile specifiers to the given type
(C++11) (class template)
(C++11)
(C++11)
remove_cv
remove_const
remove_volatile removes const or/and volatile specifiers from the given type
(C++11) (class template)
(C++11)
(C++11)