how to pass a parameter to char*?

Question

As in the code below, I can't pass this parameter, how do I fix it?

E0167 The "const char *" type argument is incompatible with the "char *" type parameter

Code example:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int PrintString(char* s)
{
    cout << s << endl;
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    PrintString("TESTEEEE");
    return 0;
}

I've already tried PrintString(L"TESTEEEE");

I've also tried setting the Project -> Properties -> General -> Character Set option to use Multi-Byte Character Set.

As it says, "TESTSEEE" is a const char *. Change `int PrintString(char* s)` to `int PrintString(const char* s)`. — Mikael H, Jun 18 '20 at 21:28
***I've already tried PrintString(L"TESTEEEE");*** For wide character literals you want `int PrintString(const wchar_t* s)` — drescherjm, Jun 18 '20 at 21:30
Either change the function proto, or const_cast the argument to char *. Remember that modifying literals is UB. — bipll, Jun 18 '20 at 21:31
why can't you edit the function to make its first parameter `const wchar_t* s`? — Alberto Sinigaglia, Jun 18 '20 at 21:36
Does this answer your question? [Difference between char\* and const char\*?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/9834067/difference-between-char-and-const-char) — alter_igel, Jun 18 '20 at 21:36

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 18 '20 at 21:42

This literal "TESTEEEE" is of type char const[9]. When used as an argument to a function, it can decay to char const* but not to char*. Hence to use your function, you have to make the parameter fit to your argument or the opposite as follows

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;
int PrintString(const char* s)
{
    cout << s << endl;
}


int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{

    PrintString("TESTEEEE");

    return 0;
}

live

OR

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;
int PrintString( char* s)
{
    cout << s << endl;
}


int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    char myArr[] = "TESTEEEE";
    PrintString(myArr);

    return 0;
}

live

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 18 '20 at 21:28

2

You have incorrect constness, it should be:

void PrintString(const char* s)

answered Jun 18 '20 at 21:28

Jarod42

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Supplemental background information: [String Literal](https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/string_literal) A literal isn't necessarily stored in writable memory, so to prevent accidentally writing to one, they are marked `const`. – user4581301 Jun 18 '20 at 21:33

how to pass a parameter to char*?

2 Answers2