Ref: http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/comphelp/v7v91/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.vacpp7a.doc%2Flanguage%2Fref%2Fclrc05cplr175.htm
C++ Scope Resolution Operator ::
The :: (scope resolution) operator is used to qualify hidden names so that you can still use them. You can use the unary scope operator if a namespace scope or global scope name is hidden by an explicit declaration of the same name in a block or class. For example:
int count = 0; int main(void) { int count = 0; ::count = 1; // set global count to 1 count = 2; // set local count to 2 return 0; }
The declaration of count declared in the main() function hides the integer named count declared in global namespace scope. The statement ::count = 1accesses the variable named count declared in global namespace scope.
You can also use the class scope operator to qualify class names or class member names. If a class member name is hidden, you can use it by qualifying it with its class name and the class scope operator.
In the following example, the declaration of the variable X hides the class type X, but you can still use the static class member count by qualifying it with the class typeX and the scope resolution operator.
#include <iostream> using namespace std; class X { public: static int count; }; int X::count = 10; // define static data member int main () { int X = 0; // hides class type X cout << X::count << endl; // use static member of class X }