Why does InputOutputArray take a const cv::Mat& reference for creation?

asked 2018-02-02 14:06:28 -0600

updated 2018-02-02 16:27:10 -0600

The constructor for an InputOutputArray takes a const cv::Mat& reference in the constructor. I'm wondering why this call doesn't fail:

void this_shouldnt_compile(const cv::Mat& mat) {
//const, so the header should not be modifiable (I realize the data is)
      putText(mat, "some text", cvPoint(0,10), 
                   FONT_HERSHEY_COMPLEX_SMALL, 0.8, 
                   Scalar(0,255,0), 1, CV_AA);
}

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answered 2018-02-02 17:04:04 -0600

opalmirror

641 ●6 ●15 http://www.loowit.net/...

updated 2018-02-02 19:30:23 -0600

It's a parameter type declaration, not a constructor. In the putText function, the Mat header is unchanged. Only the data pointed to by the Mat data is changed. So, the Mat header is constant.

Sharing the content data array between several Mat headers is intentional to the design of OpenCV. See the tutorial Mat - The Basic Image Container.

Const is a promise that the elements of the referenced data will not be modified. This is upheld. The Mat header includes a pointer to the data array. No part of the header is modified.

The content of the data array that the header points to is modified. That is not part of what is promised to remain constant. It cannot be protected using const Mat.