[Gambas-user] Static as a variable definition makes trouble

[bb]

On Thu, 2021-12-02 at 11:43 +0100, Tobias Boege via User wrote:
> On Thu, 02 Dec 2021, Rolf-Werner Eilert wrote:
> > I tried this
> > 
> > Public Sub Timer1_Timer()
> >   Static zlr As Integer
> > 
> > but it says "Unexpected: Static"
> > 
> > Why's this? Shouldn't this make a static variable "zlr" the value
> > of which
> > is kept from time to time?
> > 
> 
> Documentation says that this feature will be available in Gambas
> 3.17,
> which has not been released yet. Are you sure that you are using the
> development version of Gambas?
> 
> Best,
> Tobias
> 
What an absolutely horrifying concept.  I struggled for some weeks as
to why people wanted a static variable inside a function, but a static
inside a public sub beggars belief. At least a function with static
contents (read "there are better ways") has some credibility because if
used properly is essentially just throw away memory that just remembers
that it has been used before. 
But a dynamic method that declares a static variable? What happens when
you have 45 timers all declaring some temporal value for a static? The
mind literally boggles.
I think there may be some misunderstanding as to what a static variable
actually is??

To put it bluntly, it's a bit of memory that is in the class data space
not the instance heap and if its not then there is something really
wrong.

In fact, the more I think about it the less I believe in static
variables inside functions as well. The idea of "saving" function
internal values at the class dataspace by "making it static" appears to
me to be reasonably risky. A specious argument, I know, but the idea is
"just too hard".

If it is really truly static, then declare it in the class
declarations. If not then you have got something wrong. MyTimer36.Delay
should not return the class "MyTimer".Delay nor should setting it
affect the other 44 timers. MyControl.X (or Y) declared as a static
variable would mean everything is on top of each other. If the problem
is really retaining values between calls, then there are ways to do it
without having to resort to so-called "local statics".

Enough.
b