The static keyword can be used to declare variables, functions, class data members and class functions.
By default, an object or variable that is defined outside all blocks has static duration and external linkage. Static duration means that the object or variable is allocated when the program starts and is deallocated when the program ends. External linkage means that the name of the variable is visible from outside the file in which the variable is declared. Conversely, internal linkage means that the name is not visible outside the file in which the variable is declared.
The static keyword can be used in the following situations.
· When you declare a variable or function at file scope (global and/or namespace scope), the static keyword specifies that the variable or function has internal linkage. When you declare a variable, the variable has static duration and the compiler initializes it to 0 unless you specify another value.
· When you declare a variable in a function, the static keyword specifies that the variable retains its state between calls to that function.
· When you declare a data member in a class declaration, the static keyword specifies that one copy of the member is shared by all instances of the class. A static data member must be defined at file scope. An integral data member that you declare as const static can have an initializer.
· When you declare a member function in a class declaration, the static keyword specifies that the function is shared by all instances of the class. A static member function cannot access an instance member because the function does not have an implicit this pointer. To access an instance member, declare the function with a parameter that is an instance pointer or reference.
· You cannot declare the members of a union as static. However, a globally declared anonymous union must be explicitly declared static.
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