Are static local variables bad practice?

Question

Related C++ question: Static local variables in methods a bad practice?

In VB.NET, when I want a simple counter or something that increments each time a method is ca

Answer 1

Are static local variables bad practice?

No. Static local variables differ in exactly one regard to non-local private variables: they have a smaller scope. Since you always want to keep scope as small as possible (= better encapsulation), local statics can be advantageous over private variables.

On the flip-side, local static variables may be hard to initialise correctly. If a complex initialisation is required (for example, if you need to re-initialise a variable later on), local static variables may be unsuitable.