Linking static const class members?

  • Thread starter Steven T. Hatton
  • Start date
S

Steven T. Hatton

Sorry about the big code dump. I tried to get it down to the minimum
required to demonstrate the problem. Although this is all done with GNU, I
believe the problem I'm having may be more general. Someone on the SuSE
programming mailing list suggested my problem is that I'm trying to execute
a function (I assume he meant the constructor) at compile time. The same
source code compile if I don't try to split it up into separate libraries.

On the following source code I run:

aclocal # sets up some kind of m4 macro magic.
autoheader # does wonderful things with my headers
autoconf # read the configure.ac and spit out a configure script
automake -a -c --gnits # generate Makefile.in's from Makefile.am's
./configure # read Makefile.in's and generate Makefiles
make # run make, duh!

with the results shown at the end of the code listing. The problem seems
to be related to my using static const class members. Other similarly
configured programs work OK. Can someone please explain why this won't
compile?

./configure.ac
# -*- Autoconf -*-
# Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.

AC_PREREQ(2.59)
AC_INIT(testlibs, 0.1, (e-mail address removed))
AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([main.cpp])
AC_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])

AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
# Checks for programs.
AC_PROG_CXX
AC_PROG_CC

# Checks for libraries.
AC_PROG_RANLIB
# Checks for header files.

# Checks for typedefs, structures, and compiler characteristics.
AC_C_CONST
AC_C_INLINE

# Checks for library functions.

AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
sth/Makefile
sth/util/Makefile])
AC_OUTPUT



./Makefile.am
INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/sth $(all_includes)
bin_PROGRAMS = testlibs
testlibs_SOURCES = main.cpp
testlibs_LDFLAGS = $(all_libraries)
testlibs_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/sth/libsth.a
SUBDIRS = sth



./main.cpp
#include "ColorTest.h"
#include <iostream>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
using sth::ColorTest;
ColorTest* ct = new ColorTest(std::cout);
}

./sth/Makefile.am
INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/sth/util $(all_includes)
SUBDIRS = util
lib_LIBRARIES = libsth.a
libsth_a_LIBADD = $(top_builddir)/sth/util/libutil.a
noinst_HEADERS = ColorTest.h
libsth_a_SOURCES = ColorTest.cpp


./sth/ColorTest.h
#ifndef STHCOLORTEST_H
#define STHCOLORTEST_H

#include <ostream>
namespace sth {
class ColorTest {
public:
ColorTest(std::eek:stream& out);
~ColorTest();
};
};

#endif


./sth/ColorTest.cpp
#include "ColorTest.h"
#include <iostream>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
using sth::ColorTest;
ColorTest* ct = new ColorTest(std::cout);
}

./sth/util/Makefile.am
INCLUDES = -I$(all_includes)
lib_LIBRARIES = libutil.a
noinst_HEADERS = RgbColor.h Printable_IF.h
libutil_a_SOURCES = RgbColor.cpp


./sth/util/RgbColor.h
#ifndef UTILRGBCOLOR_H
#define UTILRGBCOLOR_H

#include "Printable_IF.h"
namespace sth
{
namespace util
{

/**
@author Steven T. Hatton
*/

class RgbColor
: public Printable_IF
{
public:
RgbColor(const unsigned char& r=255,
const unsigned char& g=127,
const unsigned char& b=127);

unsigned char R() const;
void R(const unsigned char& r);

unsigned char G() const;
void G(const unsigned char& g);

unsigned char B() const;
void B(const unsigned char& b);

std::eek:stream& print(std::eek:stream& out) const;

static const RgbColor RED;
static const RgbColor GREEN;
static const RgbColor BLUE;
static const RgbColor BLACK;
static const RgbColor WHITE;
static const RgbColor MAGENTA;
static const RgbColor CYAN;
static const RgbColor YELLOW;
private:
unsigned char m_r;
unsigned char m_g;
unsigned char m_b;
};

inline unsigned char RgbColor::R() const
{
return m_r;
}
inline void RgbColor::R(const unsigned char& r)
{
m_r = r;
}

inline unsigned char RgbColor::G() const
{
return m_g;
}

inline void RgbColor::G(const unsigned char& g)
{
m_g = g;
}

inline unsigned char RgbColor::B() const
{
return m_b;
}

inline void RgbColor::B(const unsigned char& b)
{
m_b = b;
}
}
}
#endif

./sth/util/RgbColor.h
#include "RgbColor.h"
namespace sth
{
util::RgbColor::RgbColor(const unsigned char& r,
const unsigned char& g,
const unsigned char& b)
: m_r(r)
, m_g(g)
, m_b(b)
{}

const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::RED = util::RgbColor(255,0,0);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::GREEN = util::RgbColor(0,255,0);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::BLUE = util::RgbColor(0,0,255);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::BLACK = util::RgbColor(0,0,0);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::WHITE =
util::RgbColor(255,255,255);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::MAGENTA = util::RgbColor(255,0,255);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::CYAN = util::RgbColor(0,255,255);
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::YELLOW = util::RgbColor(255,255,0);

/*!
\fn util::RgbColor::print(std::eek:stream& out) const
*/
std::eek:stream& util::RgbColor::print(std::eek:stream& out) const
{
out
<< "util::RgbColor::{r=" << this->m_r
<< ",g=" << this->m_g
<< ",b=" << this->m_b << "}\n";
return out;
}

}

./sth/util/Printable_IF.h
#ifndef PRINTABLE_IF_H
#define PRINTABLE_IF_H
#include <iostream>
namespace sth
{
namespace util
{
class Printable_IF
{
public:
Printable_IF()
{}
virtual ~Printable_IF()
{}

virtual std::eek:stream& print(std::eek:stream& out) const = 0;
};

inline std::eek:stream& operator<<(std::eek:stream& out, const Printable_IF&
pif)
{
return pif.print(out);
}
}
}
#endif

undefined reference to `sth::util::RgbColor::RED'
./sth/libsth.a(ColorTest.o)(.text+0x6f):./sth/ColorTest.cpp:9: undefined
reference to `sth::util::RgbColor::RED'
./sth/libsth.a(ColorTest.o)(.text+0x77):./sth/ColorTest.cpp:9: undefined
reference to `sth::util::RgbColor::RED'
./sth/libsth.a(ColorTest.o)(.text+0x81):./sth/ColorTest.cpp:9: undefined
reference to `vtable for sth::util::RgbColor'
./sth/libsth.a(ColorTest.o)(.text+0x8f): In function
`sth::ColorTest::ColorTest[in-charge](std::basic_ostream<char,
std::char_traits<char> >&)':
 
M

Mike Wahler

Steven T. Hatton said:
Sorry about the big code dump. I tried to get it down to the minimum
required to demonstrate the problem. Although this is all done with GNU, I
believe the problem I'm having may be more general. Someone on the SuSE
programming mailing list suggested my problem is that I'm trying to execute
a function (I assume he meant the constructor) at compile time. The same
source code compile if I don't try to split it up into separate libraries.

On the following source code I run:
Click to expand...

We don't need all that 'make' stuff.

[snip]
./main.cpp
#include "ColorTest.h"
#include <iostream>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
using sth::ColorTest;
ColorTest* ct = new ColorTest(std::cout);
Click to expand...

You really should 'delete' your 'ColorTest' object
before terminating.
}
Click to expand...

[snip more 'make' stuff]

More below.
./sth/ColorTest.h
#ifndef STHCOLORTEST_H
#define STHCOLORTEST_H

#include <ostream>
namespace sth {
class ColorTest {
public:
ColorTest(std::eek:stream& out);
~ColorTest();
};
};

#endif


./sth/ColorTest.cpp
#include "ColorTest.h"
#include <iostream>

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
using sth::ColorTest;
ColorTest* ct = new ColorTest(std::cout);
}
Click to expand...

[snip more 'make' stuff]

More below.
./sth/util/RgbColor.h
#ifndef UTILRGBCOLOR_H
#define UTILRGBCOLOR_H

#include "Printable_IF.h"
namespace sth
{
namespace util
{

/**
@author Steven T. Hatton
*/

class RgbColor
: public Printable_IF
{
public:
RgbColor(const unsigned char& r=255,
const unsigned char& g=127,
const unsigned char& b=127);
Click to expand...

I'd use symbolic names for those hard-coded numbers, in
a central place.

More below.
unsigned char R() const;
void R(const unsigned char& r);

unsigned char G() const;
void G(const unsigned char& g);

unsigned char B() const;
void B(const unsigned char& b);

std::eek:stream& print(std::eek:stream& out) const;

static const RgbColor RED;
static const RgbColor GREEN;
static const RgbColor BLUE;
static const RgbColor BLACK;
static const RgbColor WHITE;
static const RgbColor MAGENTA;
static const RgbColor CYAN;
static const RgbColor YELLOW;
Click to expand...

Here's the real trouble.

This is in the middle of the definition of type 'RgbColor'.
But you're trying to define data members of this type.
Since at this point, 'RgbColor' is not completely defined,
You Can't Do That. You're trying to make a type contain
itself. That makes no sense. What are the names 'RED',
'GREEN', etc. really supposed to represent? Perhaps you
want an enumeration here.

More below.
private:
unsigned char m_r;
unsigned char m_g;
unsigned char m_b;
};

inline unsigned char RgbColor::R() const
{
return m_r;
}
inline void RgbColor::R(const unsigned char& r)
{
m_r = r;
}

inline unsigned char RgbColor::G() const
{
return m_g;
}

inline void RgbColor::G(const unsigned char& g)
{
m_g = g;
}

inline unsigned char RgbColor::B() const
{
return m_b;
}

inline void RgbColor::B(const unsigned char& b)
{
m_b = b;
}
}
}
#endif

./sth/util/RgbColor.h
#include "RgbColor.h"
namespace sth
{
util::RgbColor::RgbColor(const unsigned char& r,
const unsigned char& g,
const unsigned char& b)
: m_r(r)
, m_g(g)
, m_b(b)
{}

const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::RED = util::RgbColor(255,0,0);
Click to expand...

What is this supposed to be? It's not a valid declaration or definition.
Ask yourself:

What type of object am I declaring here?
What is the identifier for this object?

[snip the rest]

-Mike
 
S

Steven T. Hatton

Mike said:
We don't need all that 'make' stuff.
Click to expand...

It's the only way I know of to clearly explain what I'm trying to
accomplish. The problem is not with the C++ code in the sense of syntax or
semantic violations. It is valid C++
int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
using sth::ColorTest;
ColorTest* ct = new ColorTest(std::cout);
Click to expand...

You really should 'delete' your 'ColorTest' object
before terminating.
}
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Since the code was only written for the purpose of isolating the problem, it
really isn't that important. And I really don't see the advantage in
deleting it before termination unless there are side-effect resulting from
the deletion which would impact the next run of the program, or some system
resources. That isn't the case here.
[snip more 'make' stuff]
Click to expand...
I'd use symbolic names for those hard-coded numbers, in
a central place.
Click to expand...

What's a good symbolic name that means the maximum value of a range of
values between 0 and 255? How 'bout half that?
Here's the real trouble.

This is in the middle of the definition of type 'RgbColor'.
But you're trying to define data members of this type.
Click to expand...

No, those are declarations not definitions.
What is this supposed to be? It's not a valid declaration or definition.
Ask yourself:

What type of object am I declaring here?
What is the identifier for this object?
Click to expand...

It is of type const sth::util::RgbColor. The fully qualified identifier is
sth::util::RgbColor::RED. This is the ONLY correct syntax for initializing
const static members of non-integral type.

But the code doesn't link when compiled in a separate library from the code
using it.

The following describes everything I did to the source to get the output
displayed at the end. You may notice that I did make one minor adjustment
to the code to make the output a bit more coherent.

mkdir -p ../flatlibs/src
cd ../flatlibs
cp ../testlibs/src/sth/util/Printable_IF.h src
cp ../testlibs/src/sth/util/RgbColor.h src
cp ../testlibs/src/sth/util/RgbColor.cpp src
cp ../testlibs/src/sth/ColorTest.h src
cp ../testlibs/src/sth/ColorTest.cpp src
cp ../testlibs/src/main.cpp src

#Makefile.am
SUBDIRS = src
#EOF

#src/Makefile.am
bin_PROGRAMS = flatlibs
flatlibs_SOURCES = \
ColorTest.cpp\
RgbColor.cpp\
main.cpp

noinst_HEADERS = \
ColorTest.h\
Printable_IF.h\
RgbColor.h
# EOF

autoscan
mv configure.scan configure.ac

# configure.ac
AC_PREREQ(2.59)
#modify the next line
AC_INIT(flatlibs, 0.1, (e-mail address removed))
AC_CONFIG_SRCDIR([src/RgbColor.cpp])
AC_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])
#add next line by hand
AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE
AC_PROG_CXX
AC_PROG_CC
AC_C_CONST
AC_C_INLINE
AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
src/Makefile])
AC_OUTPUT
#EOF

aclocal
autoheader
autoconf
touch INSTALL NEWS README AUTHORS ChangeLog COPYING THANKS
automake -a -c --gnits
../configure
make
../src/flatlibs
util::RgbColor::{r=255,g=0,b=0}
 
S

Steven T. Hatton

Mike said:
Steven T. Hatton said:
Sorry about the big code dump. I tried to get it down to the minimum
required to demonstrate the problem. Although this is all done with GNU, I
believe the problem I'm having may be more general. Someone on the SuSE
programming mailing list suggested my problem is that I'm trying to execute
a function (I assume he meant the constructor) at compile time. The same
source code compile if I don't try to split it up into separate
libraries.

On the following source code I run:
Click to expand...

We don't need all that 'make' stuff.

[snip]
const util::RgbColor util::RgbColor::RED =
util::RgbColor(255,0,0);
Click to expand...

What is this supposed to be? It's not a valid declaration or definition.
Ask yourself:

What type of object am I declaring here?
What is the identifier for this object?

[snip the rest]

-Mike
Click to expand...

I was able to reproduce the problem with Boost.Build. I finally figured out
what was wrong. It was just missing a link rule in one of the
Makefile.am's.
 

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