In context of C++, consider the following statements:
I: Static member function of a class can access only static data members of the class.
II: A static data member of class is shared by all the objects of the class.
The true statement(s) is/are:

Question

In context of C++, consider the following statements: 
I: Static member function of a class can access only static data members of the class. 
II: A static data member of class is shared by all the objects of the class. 
The true statement(s) is/are:

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (3):
Both I and II

The correct option is (3) because both statements accurately describe the behavior of static members in C++ classes. Statement II is the fundamental principle: a static data member is a class-level variable, meaning only a single copy of it exists, and this solitary copy is explicitly shared by every object instantiated from that class. This allows all objects to modify or access the same centralized piece of information. Statement I correctly describes the access restriction placed on static member functions: since a static function is not called on a specific object and therefore has no implicit `this` pointer pointing to an instance, it cannot access non-static (instance-specific) data members. Its access is thus restricted to the class's shared, non-object-specific members, which are the static data members.

The incorrect option is (1):
This option states that only statement I is true, which is incorrect because it dismisses statement II. Statement II is the primary defining characteristic of static data members. Unlike regular data members, which are allocated memory every time a new object is created, a static data member is initialized and allocated memory only once. This single memory location is then linked to the entire class, serving as a common, shared storage space for all objects of that type, which is the core concept of sharing across instances. Therefore, rejecting this principle would be fundamentally wrong in the context of C++ classes.

The incorrect option is (2):
This option suggests that only statement II is true, incorrectly rejecting the access limitation described in statement I. Static member functions are designed to operate without a specific object context, often used as utility functions for the class itself. Because they lack the implicit `this` pointer that non-static functions receive to identify the object's instance data, they are unable to locate or manipulate the unique, non-static data members associated with a particular object. To ensure the integrity of the object model, the C++ standard enforces this rule, making statement I a fact of C++ class design.

The incorrect option is (4):
This option claims that neither statement I nor statement II is true, which is completely contrary to the rules of Object-Oriented Programming in C++. Static members are one of the core features of C++, essential for creating class-wide constants, counters, or flags. Statement I (the access rule) and Statement II (the sharing rule) are two sides of the same coin, describing the mechanism and the necessary restrictions of the static keyword. Therefore, this option demonstrates a total misunderstanding of the C++ class memory model.