Cannot convert from a ' const char* ' to ' char* '  Can someone spot the problem here in my code?

Hello everyone,

I'm a newbie so please help.

Can someone show me with code how to fix this, this error just cropped up while going from VS 2003 to 2008.  Please let me to express my thank you in advance for your gracious help.  Here is the function...


unsigned int CFuturesInstrument::GetContractDateForInstrument( CInstrument* instrument )
{

      char              symbol[32];
      char              buffer[5];
      char*             monthPtr;
      int                     year;
      int                     month;
      unsigned int      contractDate = 0;
      int                     symbolLength;

      // Get the symbol.
      instrument->GetSymbol( symbol );

      // Get the date length.
      symbolLength = strlen( symbol );

      // Check to see if the symbol is an index, if so then return NULL as
      // we dont need to bother with the contract dates.
      if ( strstr( INDEX, &symbol[symbolLength - 1] ) )
            return NULL;

      // Make sure that this symbol is of the correct format.
      if ( symbolLength == 8 )
            {

            // First get the year.
            strncpy( buffer, &symbol[5], 2 );
            buffer[2] = '\0';
            year = atoi( buffer );
            // Convert the year to a real century.

            if ( year < 25 )
                  year += 2000;
            else
                  year += 1900;

            // Next get the month
            strncpy( buffer, &symbol[7], 1 );
            buffer[1] = '\0';
            monthPtr = strstr( VALID_TRADING_MONTHS, buffer );   //<---****** Error HERE *********
            month = monthPtr - VALID_TRADING_MONTHS + 1;

            // Put it all together.
            contractDate = year * 65536 + month * 256 + 1;
            }

      // Return the date.
      return contractDate;
}