What's the point of static members in a class?

Adam Soap

Im a former C++ programmer looking in C# a bit, I'd just like to know, my 2 books (C++ - C#) are very different and explain both concepts Very differently. I just want to make sure Im on the right page. So static members are basically members (ex. static int numOfWheels = 4) that can be only accessed within the class itself, am I correct? Is there anythin else to them? Please try to explain as clearly as possible, thanks for your time :)

3 Replies

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Sam Hobbs15y ago
A static member always exists, even before any instances are instantiated, and there will always be one and only one instance of a static member, regardless of how many objects have been created.
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Adam Soap15y ago
Sorry I meant instantiate, I'm still not quite comprending this, is it useful? Like when will I need it?
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Sam Hobbs15y ago
No, the opposite is closer to reality. Typically it is said that a static member can only be used outside the class, but that is not true. Check your books again. In C++ the only real difference between a static method and non-static methods is that a static method is not called with a "this". Please use your books for a more clear explanation. A critical concept that you need to undestand is the difference between a definition of a class and declarations using the class. Declarations using a class is often called instances of the class. When you understand that, it will be much easier to understand static members.
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