Static members

static makes a member belong to its file type rather than to an instance.

// Counter.co
static final int32 Initial = 0;

static func Next(int32 value): int32 {
  return value + 1;
}

Other files can use Counter.Initial and Counter.Next(1). Inside Counter.co, those names can be unqualified.

Static functions

A static function has no self. It may use parameters, locals, static members, imported types, and core operations. To access an instance member, it needs an explicit object.

Calling a static function through an object is invalid. Calling an instance function through a type is invalid.

Static constants

A static field must also be final and have an initializer. Supported values are scalar primitives initialized with literals and enums initialized with direct cases. Parenthesized forms are allowed.

static final bool Enabled = true;
static final int32 Limit = 16;
// With Status in scope:
static final Status InitialStatus = Status.Pending;

Calls, references to other static fields, and general constant expressions do not qualify. Mutable static fields, reference-valued static fields, aggregate constants, and dynamic initialization are unsupported.

Static fields do not occupy instance storage and cannot be accessed through objects.

Program entry point

A native program needs exactly one eligible public static Main with no parameters:

static func Main(): int32 {
  println("Done");
  return 0;
}

An omitted return annotation or explicit void produces status zero. An int32 return supplies the process status. The entry point runs without allocating an instance.