Best way to use a static function library in c++? Instancing etc...

Development Programming & Scripting C++
1

Hi,
I am building up a static function library for use both in BP and c++, and I was wanting to use one of the static lib member funcs in my c++ pawn class.

Now I know I need to create an instance of the static lib object in order to invoke it’s member funcs… but I was curious if it was more *efficient *to create the instance in the ‘begin play’ of the pawn or to create the instance in the pawn’s member function where I specifically want to use the static lib func.

Thanks again!

(I can post code but doesn’t seem necessary…?)

2

You don’t need to create an instance of the static lib object to be able to use its static member functions. This works:

BPFuncLib.h


//includes etc.

UCLASS()
class PROJECT_API UBPFuncLib : public UBlueprintFunctionLibrary
{
	GENERATED_BODY()

public:
	virtual ~UBPFuncLib();

	UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Your Category", Other Function Specifiers)
	static FYourReturnType Function(FYourFunctionParameters Parameters);
	
};



#include "BPFuncLib.h"

UBPFuncLib::Function(Parameters);

In case I’m understanding your question/problem correctly, you don’t have to worry about efficiency.

2 Likes
3

Ah interesting. See I was using Rama’s example:

and I realized that setting the (edit: didn’t mean to use the word virtual here) member functions to static allowed me to then do what you said (I was tripping a break trying to create an instance of the static lib class so I had to do some digging).

Would you be so kind as to explain as to why making it a virtual is useful and what does the ‘~’ do in that case as a prefix?

Thank you again!

4

The ‘~’ character denotes the destructor of the class. I don’t think you actually need it, I usually add it just in case I need it later.
It’s virtual so that any derived class destructors are called in order when a pointer to a base class is deleted.