In C++, static arrays can be initialized using uniform initialization syntax, which was introduced in C++11. Uniform initialization provides a more concise and consistent way to initialize arrays.

Initialization using braces

With uniform initialization, you can initialize a static array by enclosing the elements within curly braces. Let’s see an example:

int numbers[] = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5};

In the above code, we declare and initialize a static array numbers of type int with five elements: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Partial initialization

Uniform initialization also allows partial initialization of static arrays. You can initialize only a few elements, and the remaining elements will be set to their default values. Here’s an example:

int numbers[5] = {1, 2, 3};

In the above code, we declare and initialize a static array numbers of type int with five elements. The first three elements are initialized with the values 1, 2, and 3, while the last two elements will be set to 0.

Aggregate initialization

Uniform initialization works well with aggregate types, such as struct or class. You can initialize an array of structures or classes using braces. For example:

struct Point {
    int x;
    int y;
};

Point points[] = {{1, 2}, {3, 4}, {5, 6}};

In the above code, we define a structure Point with two integer members x and y. Then, we declare and initialize a static array points of type Point with three elements.

Conclusion

Uniform initialization provides a concise and consistent way to initialize static arrays in C++. By using curly braces {}, you can easily initialize arrays with explicit values or partially initialize them. This syntax also works well with aggregate types.

References

• C++ documentation on Uniform initialization
• C++ documentation on Arrays
• C++ documentation on Aggregate initialization