G++ gives ICE on non-initialized static const member

[Courtenay Footman]

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Courtenay Footman
cpf@lightlink.com

Summary g++ 2.95.2 gives ice on an array member sized by a static const member

Severity: non-critical

Priority: ???

Category: c++

Class: ice-on-legal-code

Release: GNU C++ version 2.95.2 19991024 (release)

Environment
machine: (i586-pc-linux-gnulibc1)
operating system:  Red Hat Linux 5.0

Description:
If a const static variable is used as an array bound in a
derived class, g++ 2.95 gives an internal compiler error:

bug.i:14: Internal compiler error 19970302.
bug.i:14: Please submit a full bug report.
bug.i:14: See <URL: http://www.gnu.org/software/gcc/faq.html#bugreport > for instructions.

How-to-Repeat:

Compile the following code fragment with g++:

-----------------------------------------------------
class Base
{
  int x;
public:
  Base(const Base &);
};

class Derived : public Base
{
  static const int N;
  int y[N];
public:
  Derived();
};	// Line 14
-----------------------------------------------------

Work Around:
Use global constants with funny names instead of member constants.
This is mildly disgusting.  Alternatively, use the preprocessor, as
in old fashioned C, which is also mildly disgusting.

I am not one hundred percent certain that this is legal code, but it
should be.  Correct code is produced (including code using sizeof (Derived))
if the ': public Base' is removed.  (N has to be defined someplace, of
course: const int Derived::N = 4;)

(GCC 2.7 allowed variables like N to be initialized inside the class
declaration.  In its infinite wisdom, ANSI C++ does not, and 2.95
enforces this.  Changing previously working code to comply is how I
found the bug.)

-- 
Courtenay Footman                 I have again gotten back on the net, and
cpf@lightlink.com                 again I will never get anything done.
(All mail from non-valid addresses is automatically deleted by my system.)