Pointer in const C struct - c

Question

Assuming that the following structures exist...
typedef struct MyFirstStruct
{
uint8_t someContent;
}
typedef struct MySecondStruct
{
MyFirstStruct* firstStructs;
uint8_t firstStructCount;
}
... and a function gets the following Parameter.
const MySecondStruct* const secondStruct
Is it allowed to change any value?
I am sure that this is not correct:
secondStruct->firstStructCount++.
But neither the Compiler nor PC-Lint complains about secondStruct->firstStructs->someContent++.
Is it allowed to do Change someContent because firstStructs is not const or is the behavior undefined?
Thanks!

Answer 1

The values of the nested struct(s) firstStructs can change as long as the pointer does not change. The constness of the pointer prevents the pointer value from changing, but the constness of the struct only means that its values must not change (i.e. the value of the pointer and the count).
You can modify the struct(s) pointed to by firstStructs arbitrarily without changing the pointer. You can also clearly see from the struct definition that this is legal, because firstStructs is a pointer to struct MyFirstStruct, not a pointer to const struct MyFirstStruct.
Here is an example to understand the principle without the const-pointer to const elements:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
typedef struct {
int x;
} Simple;
typedef struct {
Simple* s;
int scount;
} Nested;
int main()
{
Nested x;
x.scount = 10;
x.s = malloc(sizeof(Simple) * x.scount);
const Nested n = x;
for (int i = 0; i < n.scount; ++i)
{
n.s[i].x = i;
printf("%d\n", n.s[i].x);
}
}

Answer 2

It is OK and it was easy to check yourself:
typedef struct
{
uint8_t someContent;
} MyFirstStruct;
typedef struct
{
MyFirstStruct* firstStructs;
uint8_t firstStructCount;
}MySecondStruct;
MyFirstStruct fs;
MySecondStruct str = {.firstStructs = &fs};
const MySecondStruct* const secondStruct = &str;
int main()
{
secondStruct->firstStructs->someContent++;
}
but did not as the posted code was full of syntax errors.
You cant of course change the pointer itself:
This will give you errors:
typedef struct
{
uint8_t someContent;
} MyFirstStruct;
typedef struct
{
MyFirstStruct* firstStructs;
uint8_t firstStructCount;
}MySecondStruct;
MyFirstStruct fs[2];
MyFirstStruct ss;
MySecondStruct str = {.firstStructs = fs};
const MySecondStruct* const secondStruct = &str;
int main()
{
secondStruct->firstStructs++->someContent++;
secondStruct->firstStructs = &ss;
}