Question

EDIT: It looks like I’m completely misinformed. Please close this thread. Gah.

For the record, the following compiles and works:

class ForeverAlone
{
private:
  int m_friends;
  HANDLE m_handle;

public:
  ForeverAlone()
  {
    m_handle = CreateThread(NULL, 0, &ForeverAlone::SadThread, reinterpret_cast<void*>(this), 0, NULL);
  }

  ~ForeverAlone()
  {
    if (m_handle != NULL)
      CloseHandle(m_handle);
  }

protected:
  static unsigned long WINAPI SadThread(void* param)
  {
    ForeverAlone* thisObject = reinterpret_cast<ForeverAlone*>(param);

    // is there any way for me to access:
    thisObject->m_friends;
  }
};

Original question: I have a static protected thread method, which I pass an object to. Can I somehow make the class friend itself so I can access its private members?

Answer 1

All class methods, static or not, are automatically “friends” of the class. Friend is used to allow external functions and classes access to a class. The class is always its own “friend”.