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From: lef@nlm-vax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: static member data initialization query
Message-ID: <2464@nlm-vax.arpa>
Date: Thu, 14-May-87 11:28:02 EDT
Article-I.D.: nlm-vax.2464
Posted: Thu May 14 11:28:02 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 21-May-87 02:40:50 EDT
Organization: NLM/LHNCBC, Bethesda, Md.
Lines: 25


Hello,  I am rather new to C++ and have a question about the
initialization of static member data.  Given a class that has
some static data associated with it, that is, data shared
by all instances rather than replicated, what is the best way
to initialize that data?  The following was my first thought

	class date {
		static char *mmm[12]={"jan","feb","mar",...};
		...
	}

but this generates a compiler message "initialization of static members
unimplemented" (or something like that).   I can't seem to see how
to initialize the data with a constructor given that you only
want it to happen once, not once for every instance.

The only other alternative I can see is to use static global data.
Am I missing something or is this the preferred way to do this?

thanks, fitz

l e fitzpatrick
national library of medicine
bethesda, md