The problem is that const is also flawed as a contract. Whenever you're using const, you're trying to design a class that behaves as a mutable or as an immutabl

The problem is that const is also flawed as a contract. Whenever you're using const, you're trying to design a class that behaves as a mutable or as an immutable object, depending on how the pointer/reference is declared. A class that behaves in two different ways depending on the situation is a recipe for disaster, and that's exactly what const asks us to do. I only noticed this problem when I learned how languages such as Smalltalk/objective-c deal with the same issue: they create different classes for each situation, so if you want a mutable array you have to say so.