Undefined reference to static variable c++

c++ static
Tooba Iqbal picture Tooba Iqbal · Apr 29, 2013 · Viewed 84.1k times · Source

Hi i am getting undefined reference error in the following code:

class Helloworld{
  public:
     static int x;
     void foo();
};
void Helloworld::foo(){
     Helloworld::x = 10;
};

I don't want a static foo() function. How can I access static variable of a class in non-static method of a class?

Answer

Andy Prowl picture Andy Prowl · Apr 29, 2013

I don't want a static foo() function

Well, foo() is not static in your class, and you do not need to make it static in order to access static variables of your class.

What you need to do is simply to provide a definition for your static member variable:

class Helloworld {
  public:
     static int x;
     void foo();
};

int Helloworld::x = 0; // Or whatever is the most appropriate value
                       // for initializing x. Notice, that the
                       // initializer is not required: if absent,
                       // x will be zero-initialized.

void Helloworld::foo() {
     Helloworld::x = 10;
};

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