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Static Member Function in C++

Last Updated : 06 Aug, 2025

A static member function in C++ is a function that belongs to the class rather than any specific object of the class. It is declared using the static keyword inside the class definition.

Key points:

• Can be called without creating an object.
• Only has access to static data members or other static functions.
• Useful when a function’s logic is independent of object state.

Declaring a static member function:

class GFG {
public:
    static void display();  // Declaration
};

Defining Static Data Member Functions : Define it outside the class

void GFG::display() {
    // function body
}

Note: Just like static data members, static functions exist independently of any object instance.

Use Cases of Static Member Functions:

Static member functions are important for several reasons:

• They can access and modify static data members of the class.
• No object instantiation is required—call them directly using the class name (ClassName :: function name()).
• Perfect for utility functions or helper methods.
• Useful in design patterns like Singleton or Factory.
• Can be used to track common data across all objects (like a counter).

For example, if you want to keep track of the number of objects created from a class, a static function can help manage that shared data.

Example:

// C++ Program to show the working of
// static member functions
#include <iostream>  
using namespace std; 

class Box  
{  
    private:  
    static int length; 
    static int breadth;  
    static int height;  
    
    public:
    
    static void print()  
    {  
        cout << "The value of the length is: " << length << endl;  
        cout << "The value of the breadth is: " << breadth << endl;  
        cout << "The value of the height is: " << height << endl;  
    }
};  

// initialize the static data members  

int Box :: length = 10;  
int Box :: breadth = 20;  
int Box :: height = 30;  

// Driver Code
  
int main()  
{
    
    Box b;  
    
    cout << "Static member function is called through Object name: \n" << endl;  
    b.print();  
    
    cout << "\nStatic member function is called through Class name: \n" << endl;  
    Box::print();  
    
    return 0;  
} 

Static member function is called through Object name: 

The value of the length is: 10
The value of the breadth is: 20
The value of the height is: 30

Static member function is called through Class na...

Explanation:

• length, breadth, and height are static data members shared by all objects of the class Box.
• print() is a static member function that accesses and prints these static variables.
• Static data members are defined outside the class using the scope resolution operator (::).
• The print() function is called in two ways:
  • Using an object: b.print();
  • Using the class name (recommended): Box::print();
• Since print() is static, it works without needing an object, and it can only access other static members of the class

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