In article <1994Feb7.142944.10023@cs.cornell.edu> moudgill@cs.cornell.edu ( Mayan Moudgill) writes:
:Supposing I declare a template class with a static member as:
:
:   // A.H
:   template <class T>
:   class A {
:   public:
:      static int X;
:   }
:
:I have to define it; so assume I do it in A.C
:   // A.C
:   template <class T> int A<T>::X = 10;
:
:Now lets assume I print out its value, as
:
:   // main.C
:   main()
:   {
:   A<int> a;
:      cerr << a.X << ' ' << A<char>::X << '\n';
:   }
:
:I assume I should get 10 10. But I actually get 0 0.
:
:Now:
:1. Is this a cfront 3.0.2 bug? or
:2. Is it illegal to implicitly define and/or initialize template class
:   static members, by declaring them in the .C file for the template?
:
:My money's on (1), but since the ARM is not completely clear on the subject
:I thought I'd ask.
:
::)
:Mayan



I get
 10 10
from every release of cfront from 3.0 through 3.0.3.

Are you sure you are compiling what you entered here
(with minor corrections like a semicolon after the
template declaration, and the necessary #includes)?

We see no bug in cfront.

moudgill@cs.cornell.edu ( Mayan Moudgill) writes:

>   template <class T> int A<T>::X = 10;
[...]
>2. Is it illegal to implicitly define and/or initialize template class
>   static members, by declaring them in the .C file for the template?
[...]
>My money's on (1), but since the ARM is not completely clear on the subject
>I thought I'd ask.

Actually, the ARM is quite clear on the subject:

 "The _declaration_ in a _template-declaration_ must declare
 or define a function or a class".

A<T>::X is an int, not a class, so your example is illegal according
to the ARM.

However, I believe that the committee is planning to relax the
rules (or perhaps have already relaxed the rules) on this one.
So your example might well be legal ANSI/ISO C++ eventually.

--
Fergus Henderson - fjh@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU

>>>>> Fergus Henderson <fjh@munta.cs.mu.OZ.AU> writes:

> Actually, the ARM is quite clear on the subject:

>  "The _declaration_ in a _template-declaration_ must declare
>  or define a function or a class".

> A<T>::X is an int, not a class, so your example is illegal according
> to the ARM.

> However, I believe that the committee is planning to relax the
> rules (or perhaps have already relaxed the rules) on this one.
> So your example might well be legal ANSI/ISO C++ eventually.