Initialization of Objects with Static Storage Duration in C vs C++ [duplicate]

Answer 1

To address your question about "i is used before it's declared, right?"

Not in C++. [basic.scope.pdecl] says

The point of declaration for a name is immediately after its complete declarator (Clause 8) and before its initializer (if any), except as noted below. [ Example:

int  x  =  12;
{  int  x  =  x;  }

Here the second x is initialized with its own (indeterminate) value. — end example ]