I admit I did not really take the time to read your whole post, but I think you just want to do: static const uint64_t mask = 0x12345678; // note the "static" Also, this is not a Boost related question!! I think you should ask this kind of questions on C++ forums or IRC channels. Regards Jean-Noël -----Message d'origine----- De : boost-users-bounces@lists.boost.org [mailto:boost-users-bounces@lists.boost.org] De la part de Perry Smith Envoyé : jeudi 16 février 2006 16:43 À : boost-users@lists.boost.org Objet : [Boost-users] Non-boost c++ novice help If this is not an appropriate list for this question, please let me know. The books tell me to prefer const to #defines -- but where do you put them to have the right scope and not take up space in the object? What I'd like to have is: class register { void set_mask() { reg |= mask; } private: uint64_t reg; const uint64_t mask = 0x12345678; }; But the compiler will not let me do this and even if it did,the mask would take up physical space. I don't want mask (or reg) to be visable outside of the class and I want the compiler to use mask as a compile time constant that does not consume space after the compile. I vaguely know about namespace but if I put this inside a namespace, then I have to do: namespace hardware { const mask = 0x12345678; class register { void set_mask() { reg |= mask; } private: uint64_t reg; }; }; // .. define a register hardware::register doddy; and "mask" is not really private -- just obscured. I can still do: int i = hardware::mask; This just feels like I've taken a wrong turn somewhere. How would this be "properly" done? Thanks, Perry _______________________________________________ Boost-users mailing list Boost-users@lists.boost.org http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost-users