Using numeric_limits::max() in constant expressions

Question

I would like to define inside a class a constant which value is the maximum possible int. Something like this:

class A
{
    ...
    static const int ERROR_V         


        

Answer 1

It doesn't contradict, because max is not defined static const. It's just a static member function. Functions can't be const, and static member functions can't have a const attached at the very right either.

There is also a double max() in the double version of the limits, and in C++03 it wouldn't work to say static double const max = .... So to be consistent, max() is a function for all versions of the limit template.

Now, it's known that max() not being able to be used like that is bad, and C++0x already solves it by making it a constexpr function, allowing your proposed usage.