Simulating a virtual static member of a class in c++?

Question

Is there anyway to have a sort of virtual static member in C++?

For example:

class BaseClass {
    public:
        BaseClass(const string& name) : _name(name) {}
        string GetName() const { return _name; }
        virtual void UseClass() = 0;
    private:
        const string _name;
};


class DerivedClass : public BaseClass {
    public:
        DerivedClass() : BaseClass("DerivedClass") {}
        virtual void UseClass() { /* do something */ }
};

I know this example is trivial, but if I have a vector of complex data that is going to be always the same for all derived class but is needed to be accessed from base class methods?

class BaseClass {
    public:
        BaseClass() {}
        virtual string GetName() const = 0;
        virtual void UseClass() = 0;
};


class DerivedClass : public BaseClass {
    public:
        DerivedClass() {}
        virtual string GetName() const { return _name; }
        virtual void UseClass() { /* do something */ }
    private:
        static const string _name;
};

string DerivedClass::_name = "DerivedClass";

This solution does not satify me because I need reimplement the member _name and its accessor GetName() in every class. In my case I have several members that follows _name behavior and tenths of derived classes.

Any idea?

Answer 1

Here is one solution:

struct BaseData
{
  const string my_word;
  const int my_number;
};

class Base
{
public:
    Base(const BaseData* apBaseData)
    {
        mpBaseData = apBaseData;
    }
    const string getMyWord()
    {
        return mpBaseData->my_word;
    }
    int getMyNumber()
    {
        return mpBaseData->my_number;
    }
private:
    const BaseData* mpBaseData;
};

class Derived : public Base
{
public:
    Derived() : Base(&sBaseData)
    {
    }
private:
    static BaseData sBaseData;
}

BaseData Derived::BaseData = { "Foo", 42 };