devxlogo

Accessing Class Members From the Static Member Function

Accessing Class Members From the Static Member Function

When a class has Thread entry functions, it is usually declared as static member functions of the class as in the example below:

 Class A{private:	int i,j,k;public:	//Thread Entry function	static DWORD WINAPI ThreadFunc(PVOID p);	//other functions	void SomeFunc();}

size=3>
The implementation of the function does not allow access to the class members since this is a static function. One solution is to pass the class object itself as a parameter of the thread function and access the class members through the pointer passed.
The thread may be created from SomeFunc()

 void SomeFunc(){	...	...	CreateThread (NULL, 1024, A::ThreadFunc, this, CREATE_SUSPENDED, &_tid);	...	...}DWORD A::ThreadFunc(VOID * p){	A * pA = (A *)p;	//access members thru pA	pA->i = pA->j + pA->k;	return 0;}

size=3>
This approach is difficult since the object has to be de-referenced every time especially if the object is being used heavily inside the function. An easier way is to add a member function DWORD DoThreadFunc() to the class. From the original ThreadFunc, make a call to DoThreadFunc and do all the processing in DoThreadFunc as shown below.

 DWORD A::ThreadFunc(VOID * p){	return pA->DoThreadFunc();}DWORD A::DoThreadFunc(){   i = j+k;   return 0;}

size=3>
From DoThreadFunc(), we can access the class members directly. This will make the code look more readable without unwanted ->s

devxblackblue

About Our Editorial Process

At DevX, we’re dedicated to tech entrepreneurship. Our team closely follows industry shifts, new products, AI breakthroughs, technology trends, and funding announcements. Articles undergo thorough editing to ensure accuracy and clarity, reflecting DevX’s style and supporting entrepreneurs in the tech sphere.

See our full editorial policy.

About Our Journalist