Hello.
To my thinking, the keyword static is used for four different purposes
in C++. I will explain this and I request your comments on that:
1. "static" is used in the declarations at file scope of variables and
functions to make them "local" -- i.e. visible only within that file.
2. "static" is used in the declarations of variables inside functions to
make them "sticky" -- i.e. not get destroyed when the function is exit.
They "stick" around.
3. "static" is used in the declarations of variables inside classes to
make them "classwide" -- i.e. common to all instances of that class, in
contrast with other member variables which are unique to each instance.
4. "static" is used in the declarations of functions inside classes to
make them "nothis" -- i.e. not take/require a silent "this" pointer to
be passed, and hence be able to be called without an instance of that
class to exist.
I am thinking of using # define-s to use these four words:
local, sticky, classwide, nothis
instead of static in my C++ programs to make them more meaningful. I
believe that the above four are mutually distinct purposes of the single
static keyword and whether a future C++ standard disambiguates these
purposes or not (where I prefer it would) I can even now use these new
clearer keywords.
Are there any other meanings to static? Or are there any objections to
the above classification?
Thank you.
Shriramana Sharma.
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