Navigating C++ and Object-Oriented Design

5.12. Key Point Summary

• The explicit keyword prevents the compiler from calling a constructor implicitly in expressions.

• Class data members may be pointers to objects, references to objects, or objects.

• Objects of the same class share static data members. Static member functions allow access to static data members without callers instantiating objects.

• The compiler calls constructors for external static objects (outside functions) once, before calling main(). The compiler calls their destructors when returning from main() or when calling exit(). For internal static objects (inside functions and blocks), the compiler calls their constructors once, only when control flow enters the block where you create them. External static constructors execute ...