How to initialize private static members in C++?

Question

What is the best way to initialize a private, static data member in C++? I tried this in my header file, but it gives me weird linker errors:

class foo
{
           


        

Answer 1

int foo::i = 0; 

Is the correct syntax for initializing the variable, but it must go in the source file (.cpp) rather than in the header.

Because it is a static variable the compiler needs to create only one copy of it. You have to have a line "int foo:i" some where in your code to tell the compiler where to put it otherwise you get a link error. If that is in a header you will get a copy in every file that includes the header, so get multiply defined symbol errors from the linker.

Answer 2

One "old-school" way to define constants is to replace them by a enum:

class foo
{
    private:
        enum {i = 0}; // default type = int
        enum: int64_t {HUGE = 1000000000000}; // may specify another type
};

This way doesn't require providing a definition, and avoids making the constant lvalue, which can save you some headaches, e.g. when you accidentally ODR-use it.

Answer 3

I follow the idea from Karl. I like it and now I use it as well. I've changed a little bit the notation and add some functionality

#include <stdio.h>

class Foo
{
   public:

     int   GetMyStaticValue () const {  return MyStatic();  }
     int & GetMyStaticVar ()         {  return MyStatic();  }
     static bool isMyStatic (int & num) {  return & num == & MyStatic(); }

   private:

      static int & MyStatic ()
      {
         static int mStatic = 7;
         return mStatic;
      }
};

int main (int, char **)
{
   Foo obj;

   printf ("mystatic value %d\n", obj.GetMyStaticValue());
   obj.GetMyStaticVar () = 3;
   printf ("mystatic value %d\n", obj.GetMyStaticValue());

   int valMyS = obj.GetMyStaticVar ();
   int & iPtr1 = obj.GetMyStaticVar ();
   int & iPtr2 = valMyS;

   printf ("is my static %d %d\n", Foo::isMyStatic(iPtr1), Foo::isMyStatic(iPtr2));
}

this outputs

mystatic value 7
mystatic value 3
is my static 1 0

Answer 4

For a variable:

foo.h:

class foo
{
private:
    static int i;
};

foo.cpp:

int foo::i = 0;

This is because there can only be one instance of foo::i in your program. It's sort of the equivalent of extern int i in a header file and int i in a source file.

For a constant you can put the value straight in the class declaration:

class foo
{
private:
    static int i;
    const static int a = 42;
};

Answer 5

You can also include the assignment in the header file if you use header guards. I have used this technique for a C++ library I have created. Another way to achieve the same result is to use static methods. For example...

class Foo
   {
   public:
     int GetMyStatic() const
     {
       return *MyStatic();
     }

   private:
     static int* MyStatic()
     {
       static int mStatic = 0;
       return &mStatic;
     }
   }

The above code has the "bonus" of not requiring a CPP/source file. Again, a method I use for my C++ libraries.