Re: Returning local variable

Could you please take a look at the following code?

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

const char *foo()
{
       string f = "fo";
       f += "o";
       return f.c_str();
}

int main()
{

       cout << foo() << endl; // I need const char * here!!!
       return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

f is a local variable of foo which will be destroyed after foo( ) is
completed. I'm not sure where I've read this, but I think I've read
that returning const char * that points to a local variable is safe
while just returning char * of local variable is an error. That being
the case,

the above code is safe.

So I wonder, does const really
related to returning a local variable?

If returning const char * is not safe, then how would you correct the
above code?

Will you use auto_ptr?

or use new in this function and
delete in other function?