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C++ Addendum:
Static Members in C++

Static Members
Memory Allocators
Implementation of Singleton Classes
Comparison of Static and Friend
Functions

oop

Static Members
vs. Ordinary Members
Static Members

Ordinary Members

Data
Members

Exactly one
instantiation for
the entire class

One instantiation
for each object in
the class

Function
Members

One copy per

class; no object to
operate on

One copy per

class; has object
to operate on

Detecting Memory Leaks

After detecting a memory leak one needs to count how many

objects of a certain class are out there:
VWDWLFLQWQ
FODVV;^
SXEOLF

;^Q`
a;^Q`
`
Works, but far from being modular. Solution: move the VWDWLF
definition into the class.
FODVV;^
There is only one instance
of Q, regardless of the
VWDWLFLQWQ
number of instances of the
SXEOLF
FODVV;.
;^Q`
a;^Q`
`
LQW;Q 
The data member Q is shared by all objects of FODVV;.

oop

Static Member Functions

FODVV:LQGRZ^
VWDWLF:LQGRZ DOO
:LQGRZ Q[W
3RLQWZKHUH
3RLQWVL]H

SXEOLF
VWDWLF:LQGRZ KHDGYRLG^UHWXUQDOO`
:LQGRZ QH[WYRLG^UHWXUQ Q[W`
YRLGGLVSOD\YRLG
:LQGRZ
Q[WDOO
^
DOO

:LQGRZ%
:LQGRZ$
DOO WKLV
`
`
:LQGRZ :LQGRZDOO :LQGRZ 
Recall: statics (globals) are
automatically zero-initialized

oop

oop

Calling Static Member Functions

IRU
:LQGRZ S :LQGRZKHDG
S :LQGRZ 
S S!QH[W

S!GLVSOD\

It is also legal to call or access a static member

through an object:
:LQGRZZ
:LQGRZ S ZKHDG

Implementing Pool Allocation



i-1



oop

Static

Static Member Functions and Operator

Overloading

1RGH 1RGH1HZYRLG

^
LISRRO 1RGH ^
SRRO QHZ1RGH>&+81.@
IRULQWL L&+81.L
SRRO>L@OHIW SRRO>L@
SRRO>&+81.@OHIW 1RGH 
`

SRRO

CHUNK-1

`
oop

BUG:
BUG:the
thechunks
chunkswill
will
never
neverbe
bedeleted
deleted

oop

In C++ one can overload almost all operators.

These include also:

1RGH UHV SRRO

SRRO SRRO!OHIW
UHWXUQUHV

Pool Allocation for Small Objects

FODVV1RGH^
HQXP^&+81. `
VWDWLF1RGH SRRO
VWDWLF1RGH 1HZYRLG
VWDWLFYRLG'HOHWH1RGH Q^
Q!OHIW SRRO
SRRO Q
`
SRRO
1RGH
1RGH
'DWDGDWD


.H\NH\
1RGH OHIW
1RGH ULJKW
1RGH'DWDG.H\N/HIWO5LJKWU
GDWDGNH\NOHIWOULJKWU^`
IULHQGFODVV%LQDU\7UHH
`

Here is how to display all windows:

oop

QHZ
GHOHWH
QHZ>@
GHOHWH>@

The above are always (regardless of declaration)

static members!
Very natural: memory allocation and deallocation (just
as construction) is something that belongs to the class,
not the object.

Recall the pool allocation algorithm.

FODVV1RGH^
HQXP^&+81. `
VWDWLF1RGH SRRO
VWDWLF1RGH 1HZYRLG
VWDWLFYRLG'HOHWH1RGH Q^
Q!OHIW SRRO
SRRO Q
`
SRRO
1RGH


YRLG RSHUDWRUQHZVL]HBWVL]H^
UHWXUQ1HZ
`
YRLGRSHUDWRUGHOHWHYRLG SWU^
'HOHWH1RGH SWU
`
`

1RGHRSHUDWRUGHOHWH

1RGH

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Recall, they are always static members

Single Objects Locally: individually by class

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Implementation of Singleton Classes


File
6LQJOHWRQK
File6LQJOHWRQK
FODVV6LQJOHWRQ^
FODVV6LQJOHWRQ^
SXEOLF
SXEOLF
LQOLQHVWDWLF6LQJOHWRQ ,QVWDQFH
LQOLQHVWDWLF6LQJOHWRQ ,QVWDQFH
SURWHFWHG
SURWHFWHG
Recall that local VWDWLF
6LQJOHWRQ
6LQJOHWRQ
variables are initialized
`
`
when the function is first
called.

Single Objects Globally: overload the global operators

RSHUDWRUQHZ and RSHUDWRUGHOHWH.
Arrays Locally: only total size is supplied as argument


Ensure
Ensurethat
thatexactly
exactlyone
oneinstance
instanceisisdeclared,
declared,and
and

avoid
avoidthe
thedependency
dependencyof
ofinitialization
initializationorder.
order.
6LQJOHWRQ 6LQJOHWRQ,QVWDQFH
6LQJOHWRQ 6LQJOHWRQ,QVWDQFH
^^
VWDWLF6LQJOHWRQLQVWDQFH
VWDWLF6LQJOHWRQLQVWDQFH
UHWXUQ LQVWDQFH
Can you propose another idiom for
UHWXUQ LQVWDQFH
implementing singleton classes in
``
which the singleton object is

FODVV)RR^
SXEOLF
YRLG RSHUDWRUQHZ>@VL]HBWE\WHV
YRLGRSHUDWRUGHOHWH>@YRLG EXIIVL]HBWE\WHV
`

Arrays Globally: overload the global operators

RSHUDWRUQHZ>@ and RSHUDWRUGHOHWH>@.
Again, only the total size is supplied as argument.

Cast to1RGH is necessary in 1RGHRSHUDWRU

GHOHWH since after destruction we no longer have objects
of a type 1RGH.
Both QHZ and GHOHWH operators do not take a WKLV
parameter.

oop

RSHUDWRUQHZVL]HBW
RSHUDWRUGHOHWHYRLG 

oop

is not used here, but its very important once

inheritance is introduced.
To eliminate compiler warning on unused arguments,
functions should be defined without argument names:
YRLG 1RGHRSHUDWRUQHZVL]HBW^UHWXUQ1HZ`

if necessary, may use the global operators:

The argument of type VL]HBW to

and

FODVV)RR^
SXEOLF
YRLG RSHUDWRUQHZVL]HBWE\WHV
YRLGRSHUDWRUGHOHWHYRLG EXIIVL]HBWE\WHV
`

Another version of the operator delete:

1RGHRSHUDWRUQHZ

Summary: Overloading new and delete

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Notes on Overloading New and Delete

RSHUDWRUGHOHWHYRLG SWUVL]HBWVL]H

oop

Overloading New and Delete

destructed when the program

exits?

oop

Summary: Static Member Functions

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VWDWLF member functions are similar to IULHQG

functions:
No WKLV pointer
May access all members: static/non-static, function/data,
private/public/protected.

VWDWLF member functions are more powerful than

IULHQG functions:
Do not pollute the global name space.
Can be assigned visibility

VWDWLF member functions are less powerful than

IULHQG functions:
Are strongly associated with a particular class
Cannot be used for operator overloading

Calling static member function is by

Element of a class
The class itself

oop