When an object drops out of function or block scope the destructor will be fired. Identifiers listed in a function parameters list in a function prototype are ignored by the compiler but should exist for understandability of the function interface. Identifiers used within prototypes can be reused in a program without ambiguity. However, identifiers used within a function definition retain function block scope. The is the scope bound to the class specification.
Identifiers bound by class scope exist as long as an instance of the class is active.
Static identifiers of classes must be initialized in file or program scope. Inline Functions Inline functions can significantly increase the performance of a program. Functions can be automatically inlined by including them into the class specification or the programmer can place the key word inline prior to a function definition. The compiler will try to inline the function. This means the compiler will try to place an instance of the function in the same code segment as the function call.