• FizzyOrange@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    22 hours ago

    that static variable is local to that function

    Yes I know how static storage durations work. It’s still global state, which is a code smell. Actually I’d go as far as to say global state is just bad practice, not just a smell. Occasionally it’s the only option, and it’s definitely the lazy option which I won’t claim to never take!

    • Boomkop3@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      21 hours ago

      Aaand… you didn’t even bother to google it :/

      This is not about storage durations, and it’s local to a function

      • FizzyOrange@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        11 hours ago

        I don’t need to Google anything. I have 30 years experience writing C & C++.

        This is not about storage durations

        Yes it is.

        https://en.cppreference.com/w/c/language/storage_duration

        it’s local to a function

        Only the visibility is local. The data is still global state. You can call that function from anywhere and it will use the same state. That’s what global state means.

        https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/a/314983

        Some of the biggest issues with global state are that is makes testing difficult and it makes concurrent code more error-prone. Both of those are still true for locally scoped static variables.

        • Boomkop3@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          7 hours ago

          Again, it’s an easy refactor to make it not global. There are cases where that extra abstraction work simply does not add value.

          With your background, you should know that