Static variables in C++ and Java

Question

I have a question: let's say we have this function: (in C++)

int& f() {
    static int x = 0;
    return x;
} // OK

and

int& h() {
    int x=0;
    return x;
} // ERROR

Why does h give an error? Is it because of the keyword static? I found static keyword lets my x variable live after my function is terminated. So I still can access at that memory location from the outside (another function or main? right?). Instead int x = 0 is lost after h terminates. Right? I'm not sure I really got it!

And what about Java? I read I cannot declare static variables in methods but only in classes.

Thank you.

Answer 1

In C++, static is one of the most overloaded keywords of the language. The meaning you're using here is this:

A variable which is defined inside a function with the static specifier has static storage duration - it occupies the same space for the entire runtime of the program, and keeps its value between different calls to the function. So you can safely return a reference to it, as the variable is always there to back the reference.

A normal (non-static) function-local variable is destroyed when the function call returns, and so the reference becomes dangling - it doesn't refer to anything valid. Using it results in Undefined Behaviour.

Java simply doesn't have function-scope static variables (it doesn't have that meaning of the keyword static). That's why you can't declare it there.

Both C++ and Java have the "class-scope" meaning of the static keyword. When a member of a class is declared with the static keyword, it means the member is not bound to any instance of the class, but is just a global variable whose identifier lives in the class's scope.

Answer 2

Static keyword is used for almost same purpose in both C++ and Java. There are some differences though.

1) Static Data Members: Like C++, static data members in Java are class members and shared among all objects.

2) Static Member Methods: Like C++, methods declared as static are class members and have following restrictions:

• (i) They can only call other static methods.
• (ii) They must only access static data.
• (iii) They cannot access this or super

Like C++, static data members and static methods can be accessed without creating an object. They can be accessed using class name.

3) Static Block: Unlike C++, Java supports a special block, called static block (also called static clause) which can be used for static initialization of a class. This code inside static block is executed only once (first time you make an object of that class or the first time you access a static member of that class (even if you never make an object of that class)).

4) Static Local Variables: Unlike C++, Java doesn’t support static local variables. If used , Java program fails in compilation.

5) Static class: Classes can also be made static in Java.In java, we can’t make Top level class static. Only nested classes can be static.

• Nested static class doesn’t need reference of Outer class, but Non-static nested class or Inner class requires Outer class reference.

• Inner class(or non-static nested class) can access both static and non-static members of Outer class. A static class cannot access non-static members of the Outer class. It can access only static members of Outer class.

  Ref : www.geeksforgeeks.org