What is a “static” function in C?

Question

The question was about plain c functions, not c++ static methods, as clarified in comments.

I understand what a static variable is, but wha

Answer 1

First: It's generally a bad idea to include a .cpp file in another file - it leads to problems like this :-) The normal way is to create separate compilation units, and add a header file for the included file.

Secondly:

C++ has some confusing terminology here - I didn't know about it until pointed out in comments.

a) static functions - inherited from C, and what you are talking about here. Outside any class. A static function means that it isn't visible outside the current compilation unit - so in your case a.obj has a copy and your other code has an independent copy. (Bloating the final executable with multiple copies of the code).

b) static member function - what Object Orientation terms a static method. Lives inside a class. You call this with the class rather than through an object instance.

These two different static function definitions are completely different. Be careful - here be dragons.

Answer 2

A static function is one that can be called on the class itself, as opposed to an instance of the class.

For example a non-static would be:

Person* tom = new Person();
tom->setName("Tom");

This method works on an instance of the class, not the class itself. However you can have a static method that can work without having an instance. This is sometimes used in the Factory pattern:

Person* tom = Person::createNewPerson();

Answer 3

static functions are functions that are only visible to other functions in the same file (more precisely the same translation unit).

EDIT: For those who thought, that the author of the questions meant a 'class method': As the question is tagged C he means a plain old C function. For (C++/Java/...) class methods, static means that this method can be called on the class itself, no instance of that class necessary.

Answer 4

There are two uses for the keyword static when it comes to functions in C++.

The first is to mark the function as having internal linkage so it cannot be referenced in other translation units. This usage is deprecated in C++. Unnamed namespaces are preferred for this usage.

// inside some .cpp file:

static void foo();    // old "C" way of having internal linkage

// C++ way:
namespace
{
   void this_function_has_internal_linkage()
   {
      // ...
   }
}

The second usage is in the context of a class. If a class has a static member function, that means the function is a member of the class (and has the usual access to other members), but it doesn't need to be invoked through a particular object. In other words, inside that function, there is no "this" pointer.

Answer 5

"What is a “static” function in C?"

Let's start at the beginning.

It´s all based upon a thing called "linkage":

"An identifier declared in different scopes or in the same scope more than once can be made to refer to the same object or function by a process called linkage. 29)There are three kinds of linkage: external, internal, and none."

Source: C18, 6.2.2/1

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"In the set of translation units and libraries that constitutes an entire program, each declaration of a particular identifier with external linkage denotes the same object or function. Within one translation unit, each declaration of an identifier with internal linkage denotes the same object or function. Each declaration of an identifier with no linkage denotes a unique entity."

Source: C18, 6.2.2/2

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If a function is defined without a storage-class specifier, the function has external linkage by default:

"If the declaration of an identifier for a function has no storage-class specifier, its linkage is determined exactly as if it were declared with the storage-class specifier extern."

Source: C18, 6.2.2/5

That means that - if your program is contained of several translation units/source files (.c or .cpp) - the function is visible in all translation units/source files your program has.

This can be a problem in some cases. What if you want to use f.e. two different function (definitions), but with the same function name in two different contexts (actually the file-context).

In C and C++, the static storage-class qualifier applied to a function at file scope (not a static member function of a class in C++ or a function within another block) now comes to help and signifies that the respective function is only visible inside of the translation unit/source file it was defined in and not in the other TLUs/files.

"If the declaration of a file scope identifier for an object or a function contains the storage-class specifier static, the identifier has internal linkage. 30)"

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30. A function declaration can contain the storage-class specifier static only if it is at file scope; see 6.7.1.

Source: C18, 6.2.2/3

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Thus, A static function only makes sense, iff:

1. Your program is contained of several translation units/source files (.c or .cpp).

and

2. You want to limit the scope of a function to the file, in which the specific function is defined.

If not both of these requirements match, you don't need to wrap your head around about qualifying a function as static.

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Side Notes:

• As already mentioned, A static function has absolutely no difference at all between C and C++, as this is a feature C++ inherited from C.

It does not matter that in the C++ community, there is a heartbreaking debate about the depreciation of qualifying functions as static in comparison to the use of unnamed namespaces instead, first initialized by a misplaced paragraph in the C++03 standard, declaring the use of static functions as deprecated which soon was revised by the committee itself and removed in C++11.

This was subject to various SO questions:

Unnamed/anonymous namespaces vs. static functions

Superiority of unnamed namespace over static?

Why an unnamed namespace is a "superior" alternative to static?

Deprecation of the static keyword... no more?

In fact, it is not deprecated per C++ standard yet. Thus, the use of static functions is still legit. Even if unnamed namespaces have advantages, the discussion about using or not using static functions in C++ is subject to one´s one mind (opinion-based) and with that not suitable for this website.

Answer 6

The answer to static function depends on the language:

1) In languages without OOPS like C, it means that the function is accessible only within the file where its defined.

2)In languages with OOPS like C++ , it means that the function can be called directly on the class without creating an instance of it.