C++ const string literals and custom string class - c++

Question

In C++ string literals "Hello" are const and are immutable. I wanted to make a custom string class whose strings are not const chars, so they can be changeable
Here is a snippet of code that might illustrate what I'm trying to do:
#include <iostream>
class String {
public:
char * p_start;
String(char * strSourc) // Constructor
{
p_start = strSourc;
}
};
int main()
{
String myString("Hello");
// Create object myString, send "Hello" string literal as argument
std::cout << myString.p_start << std::endl;
// Prints "Hello"
*myString.p_start = 'Y';
// Attempt to change value at first byte of myString.p_start
std::cout << myString.p_start << std::endl;
// Prints "Hello" (no change)
myString.p_start = "Yellow";
// Assigning a string literal to p_start pointer
std::cout << myString.p_start << std::endl;
// Prints Yellow, change works. I thought myString "Hello" was const chars, immutable
return 0;
}
So, I'm confused. I've looked everywhere and it says that string literals, like "Hello", are immutable, each of their char bytes are unchangeable. Though I managed to assign Yellow to the p_start pointer, changing the first letter. Though changing the single letter H to a Y through dereferencing the H pointer didn't do anything.
Any insights would help me, thanks.

Answer 1

I think you're confusing about pointer and pointee.
p_start = "Yellow", you're changing the value of pointer, to point to "Yellow". *p_start = 'Y', you're changing the value of pointee, the content p_start points to, not itself. As you said, "Yellow" are const chars, so the behaviour try to modify them is UB.
You can make a copy of it in the ctor, then you can modify the chars, which are managed by the class. Yes, it will be a new copy, but it won't be a waste of memory. And you have no choice if you want them to be changable.

Answer 2

not sure if anyone finds this helpful after so long but since I am learning myself I took your above code and made it work by copying. It now has a member variable for size and cleans up using delete when you assign a new string literal to it (const char*).
#include <iostream>
class String {
public:
char * p_start;
int m_size;
String(const char * strSourc) // Constructor
{
//The following will get the size of the parameter.
int SizeParameter=0;
while (*(strSourc+SizeParameter) != '\0')
{
SizeParameter++;
}
// size of string saved.
m_size = SizeParameter;
// allocate enough memory so we can copy strSourc
p_start = new char[SizeParameter+1];
//copy the contents strSourc
for(int i=0; i<SizeParameter+1; i++)
{
*(p_start+i) = *(strSourc+i);
}
}
//Handle change of string value.
char* AssignNewString (const char* newtext)
{
//clean
delete p_start;
int SizeParameter=0;
while (*(newtext+SizeParameter) != '\0')
{
SizeParameter++;
}
// size of string saved.
m_size = SizeParameter;
// allocate enough memory so we can copy strSourc
p_start = new char[SizeParameter+1];
//copy the contents strSourc
for(int i=0; i<SizeParameter+1; i++)
{
*(p_start+i) = *(newtext+i);
}
return p_start;
}
char* operator=(const char* newtext)
{
AssignNewString(newtext);
}
};
int main()
{
String myString("Hello");
// Create object myString, send "Hello" string literal as argument
std::cout << "string size: " << myString.m_size << std::endl;
std::cout << myString.p_start << std::endl;
// Prints "Hello"
*myString.p_start = 'Y';
// Attempt to change value at first byte of myString.p_start
std::cout << myString.p_start << std::endl;
// Prints "Hello" (no change)
myString = "yellow";
// Assigning a string literal to p_start pointer
myString = "THIS IS A LONGER STRING";
std::cout << myString.p_start << std::endl;
std::cout << "string size: " << myString.m_size << std::endl;
return 0;
}
Note I am learning myself so do let me know if I am doing something wrong. But so far, it seems to work.