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// A static constructor.

static SavingsAccount()

{

Console.WriteLine("In static ctor!");

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8849CH05.qxd  10/22/07  1:34 PM  Page 157

---

currInterestRate = 0.04;

}

...

}

Simply put, a static constructor is a special constructor that is an ideal place to initialize the

values of static data when the value is not known at compile time (e.g., you need to read in the value

from an external file, generate a random number, etc.). Here are a few points of interest regarding

static constructors:

• A given class (or structure) may define only a single static constructor.

• A static constructor does not take an access modifier and cannot take any parameters.

• A static constructor executes exactly one time, regardless of how many objects of the type are

created.

• The runtime invokes the static constructor when it creates an instance of the class or before

accessing the first static member invoked by the caller.

• The static constructor executes before any instance-level constructors.

Given this modification, when you create new SavingsAccount objects, the value of the static

data is preserved, as the static member is set only one time within the static constructor, regardless

of the number of objects created.