CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++staticconstants
user3215228
user3215228

Reputation: 313

static functions constant static member functions

I want to ask a simple question

Like for example in my private member I have declared static member.

static int id;

and in the public I have used getter function for this id

static int getID() const;

The compilor is giving me an error but when I dont use const it does not give any error, because this is only getter it should be constant, please tell me the reasons.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 65

Answers (1)

4pie0
4pie0

Reputation: 29724

This is a static function which cannot be const, because it doesn't act on any particular instance of class. This means such function has no this pointer (passed implicitly as hidden argument) to any particular instance. You should write

static int id;
static int getID();

It is also possible to make this function non static 

int getID() const;

however such a function in general should be static, as long as it doesn't need access to specific object's representation.

Upvotes: 1

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