http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=53225
--- Comment #22 from Jonathan Wakely <redi at gcc dot gnu.org> 2012-05-04 21:51:39 UTC --- (In reply to comment #19) > Johnathan, const static members are compile time beasts. There are almost > macros like #define, but not quite as the compiler will give them storage if > you take their address. Please don't try to C++ to me. How do you explain that "int_type" is int in A::f() and not short? > I don't think it is a good idea to add another > paradigm into this. Ignore the static const, explain the typedef. > Nor does your example explain how the field moved and was > correctly assigned in the code I gave above with method() - if I were to > accept > your example as valid, then that code would not work - but it does, there is > is. You can compile it, and get the memory dumps yourself in gdb. Can you > speak to that example with method()? That would be very useful. It didn't "move" > (gdb) p &(b_pt->count) > $1 = (uint *) 0x804a00c > (gdb) x/10 b_pt > 0x804a008: 5 0 0 0 > 0x804a018: 0 0 0 0 > 0x804a028: 0 135129 > (gdb) p b_pt > $2 = (B *) 0x804a008 At 0x804a008 there is a B object. Inside that B object is a C object, also at address 0x804a008, and an A object at address 0x804a00c. Think of the B as a little box with two object in it. Inside the A at 0x804a00c is an integer called "count" and that is also at address 0x804a00c. The memory looks like this: 0x804a008 0x804a00c B----------------------------- C--------------A-------------- y--------------count---------- Inside operator new you get a piece of memory, big enough for a B, then you cast that memory to A* and dereference it to access A::count. Because you cast the memory to A* the compiler access "count" at that address (see the diagram, the "count" member is at offset zero into an A. here's your invalid example adjusted to use a normal member instead of operator new, it fails in the same way: #include <cstddef> #include <stdlib.h> #include <assert.h> typedef unsigned int uint; class C{ // just here to be faithful to the original code int y; }; class A{ public: typedef A this_type; static void* create(size_t enfacia_size, uint count){ size_t total_size = enfacia_size + sizeof(int) * count; // the 'tail' ; this_type *new_pt = (this_type *)calloc(total_size, 1); new_pt->count = count; return new_pt; } uint count; }; class B : public C, public A{ public: int i; }; int main(){ B *b_pt = (B*) B::create(sizeof(B), 5); assert(b_pt->count == 5); } There's nothing special about operator new, you just don't understand C++