How to Simulate Static Constructors in C ?

Static Initialization in C : An Alternative to Static Constructors

In C , initializing private static data members can pose a challenge due to the lack of static constructors. However, there is an elegant solution that mirrors the functionality of static constructors in other languages.

Using a Separate Class

To simulate static initialization, create a separate ordinary class to hold the static data and declare a static instance of this class within the class that requires it. For example:

// StaticStuff class holds static data
class StaticStuff {
    std::vector<char> letters_;

public:
    // Constructor initializes data
    StaticStuff() {
        for (char c = 'a'; c <= 'z'; c++)
            letters_.push_back(c);
    }

    // Provide access to static data
    std::vector<char>& letters() { return letters_; }
};

// Class that uses static data
class C {
    // Static instance of StaticStuff (initialized once)
    static StaticStuff staticStuff;
};

In this example, StaticStuff holds the static data letters_, and its constructor initializes it upon the first instantiation. The static instance staticStuff is declared within C, providing access to the static data from within the C class.

Advantages

This approach offers several benefits:

• Initialization isolation: It separates the initialization code from the class constructor, reducing complexity.
• Singleton-like behavior: The static instance ensures that the data is initialized only once, even when multiple instances of the class are created.
• Access to private members: The StaticStuff class can access the private members of C through friend declarations or public getter functions.

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