Should I use static const int or #define?

Question

I have a class and it has an integer value that will be used by other classes as well as the original class. And it's a fairly simple value (e.g. the dimensions of a GUI application). In this case, should I define these values as static const int VALUE = 123 or #define VALUE 123 in my header file? Does one have any advantage over the other?

That depends, there are cases where `static const` values might turn out less efficient than a simple `#define`. — πάντα ῥεῖ, Nov 15 '14 at 12:51
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1637332/static-const-vs-define — theonlygusti, Nov 15 '14 at 12:53

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 15 '14 at 12:56

2

When you're using C++ you almost never need to use #define. (Only with include guards)

#define knows nothing about semantics of code. It simply replaces text VALUE with defined value.

static const int is much better choice then. It is recommended way to use constants.

answered Nov 15 '14 at 12:56

justanothercoder

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Even for include guards, most compilers support `#pragma once`. – chris Nov 15 '14 at 13:22

Should I use static const int or #define?

1 Answers1