error: ISO C++ forbids in-class initialization of non-const static member
c++, compiler-errors, language-lawyer, static
Solution
The initialization of the static member `counter` must not be in the header file.
Change the line in the header file to
static int counter;
And add the following line to your employee.cpp:
int Employee::counter = 0;
Reason is that putting such an initialization in the header file would duplicate the initialization code in every place where the header is included.
Problem
this is the header file: employee.h ``` #ifndef EMPLOYEE_H #define EMPLOYEE_H #include <iostream> #include <string> using namespace std; class Employee { public: Employee(const string &first, const string &last) ``` Overloaded Constructor ``` : firstName(first), ``` firstName overloaded constructor ``` lastName(last) ``` lastName overloaded constructor ``` { //The constructor start ++counter; ``` it adds one plus per each object created; ``` cout << "Employee constructor for " << firstName << ' ' << lastName << " called." << endl; } ~Employee() { ``` Destructor cout << "~Employee() called for " << firstName << ' ' << lastName << endl; Returns the first and last name of each object ``` --counter; ``` Counter minus one ``` } string getFirstName() const { return firstName; } string getLastName() const { return lastName; } static int getCount() { return counter; } private: string firstName; string lastName; static int counter = 0; ``` Here is where i got the error. But, why? ``` }; ``` principal program: employee2.cpp ``` #include <iostream> #include "employee2.h" using namespace std; int main() { cout << "Number of employees before instantiation of any objects is " << Employee::getCount() << endl; ``` Here ir call te counter's value from the class ``` { ``` Start a new scope block ``` Employee e1("Susan", "Bkaer"); ``` Initialize the e1 object from Employee class ``` Employee e2("Robert", "Jones"); ``` Initialize the e2 object from Employee class ``` cout << "Number of employees after objects are instantiated is" << Employee::getCount(); cout << "\n\nEmployee 1: " << e1.getFirstName() << " " << e1.getLastName() << "\nEmployee 2: " << e2.getFirstName() << " " << e2.getLastName() << "\n\n"; } ``` end the scope block ``` cout << "\nNUmber of employees after objects are deleted is " << Employee::getCount() << endl; //shows the counter's value } //End of Main ``` What is the problem? I have no idea what's wrong. I have been thinking a lot, but a i do not what is wrong.