Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!helios!sparc27!jeffw
From: jeffw@sparc27.tamu.EDU (Jeffrey A Waller)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Initializing static area of classes....
Message-ID: <13174@helios.TAMU.EDU>
Date: 8 Mar 91 06:39:39 GMT
References: <1991Mar4.224519.6434@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> <2390@calmasd.Prime.COM>
Sender: usenet@helios.TAMU.EDU
Reply-To: jeffw@sparc27.tamu.EDU (Jeffrey A Waller)
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Lines: 44

In article <2390@calmasd.Prime.COM>, wlp@calmasd.Prime.COM (Walter L. Peterson, Jr.) writes:
|> In article <1991Mar4.224519.6434@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> nsundare@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (Neelakantan Sundaresan) writes:
|> >
|> >I am trying to solve the problem of initializing the static(shared) data
|> >area of a class type. Basically I would like this initializtion and any
|> >other house keeping stuff done, when the first object instance of that
|> >class is 'construct'ed. Is there a neat way to achieve this?
|> >
|> 
|> There is no "neat" way to do this. There is, however, "A" way to do
|> this. What you need to do is create yet another class.


I would only agree if this data area included static class members which required 
dynamic initialization.  Otherwise leave everything in the class:

class Foo
{  private:

      static int count;

      .
      .
      .

      void initialize_static_stuff();

   public:

       Foo()
       {  if(!count++) initialize_static_stuff();

          .
          .
          .

       }
};


Obviously, there are restrictions, though it works with what I find to be the
most common sort of initialization -- calling malloc and/or new. 

							-Jeff