We used to call it "static initialization" - which contrasted with dynamic initialization.

-- Gaby


________________________________
From: Ext <ext-bounces_at_[hidden]> on behalf of Barry Revzin via Ext <ext_at_[hidden]>
Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2020, 7:16 AM
To: Evolution Working Group mailing list
Cc: Barry Revzin; C++ Education Reflector
Subject: Re: [isocpp-ext] "constinit" seems to be very confusing



On Sun, Nov 22, 2020 at 9:08 AM Nicolai Josuttis via Ext <ext_at_[hidden]<mailto:ext_at_[hidden]>> wrote:
Starting to learn and document C++20, I just realized that
the keyword "constinit" seems very confusing.
Every naive programmer would assume it means "init a const",
but it seems the const is simply wrong; it is the opposite.
Or as Jonathan Müller wrote in a talk:
  constinit = constexpr - const

Now I wonder how to teach that.
Could somebody elaborate please why we have chosen this name
and what is the best way to make this name plausible to ordinary
programmers?

Thanks
  Nico

The name comes from mandating that we perform constant initialization for this variable.

Barry