This question was closed Jul 24, 2016 at 08:30 PM by Vexing for the following reason:

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Question by Vexing · Jul 24, 2016 at 07:55 PM · reference instance type static variable static class

Static member cannot be accessed

So, I've had this problem for a few days now and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong here.

I keep getting the error:

"Static member `DaySave.playtime' cannot be accessed with an instance reference, qualify it with a type name instead"

I don't think I'm using an instance reference to get this value but I could be horribly wrong. This is the code that is giving me the error CS0176:

     void Update ()
     {
         foreach(DaySave g in SaveLoad.savedDays)
         {
             if(g == SaveLoad.savedDays[0])
             {
                 DaySave.current = g;
 
                 float hour = DaySave.current.playtime / 3600;
                 float minutes = (DaySave.current.playtime % 3600) / 60;
 
                 float finalHour = Mathf.Floor(hour);
                 float finalMinutes = Mathf.Floor(minutes);
 
                 Debug.Log(finalHour.ToString() + " : " + finalMinutes.ToString());
             }
         }
     }

Here's the other classes that I'm using as well:

 [System.Serializable]
 public class DaySave
 {
     public static DaySave current;
     public static string saveName;
     public static int day;
     public static int tod;
     public static float playtime;
 
     public DaySave()
     {
         saveName = "New Save";
         day = new int();
         tod = new int();
         playtime = new float();
     }
 }

And

 public static class SaveLoad
 {
     public static List<DaySave> savedDays = new List<DaySave>();
 
     public static void Save()
     {
         SaveLoad.savedDays.Add(DaySave.current);
         BinaryFormatter bf = new BinaryFormatter();
         FileStream file = File.Create(Application.persistentDataPath + "/savedDays.dex");
         bf.Serialize(file, SaveLoad.savedDays);
         file.Close();
     }
 
     public static void Load()
     {
         if (File.Exists(Application.persistentDataPath + "/savedDays.dex"))
         {
             BinaryFormatter bf = new BinaryFormatter();
             FileStream file = File.Open(Application.persistentDataPath + "/savedDays.dex", FileMode.Open);
             SaveLoad.savedDays = (List<DaySave>)bf.Deserialize(file);
             file.Close();
         }
     }
 }

I'm getting to the point where I feel I need to just walk away for a few days or something, it's really bothering me. Thanks for the help!

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Salmjak · Jul 24, 2016 at 08:04 PM 1

@Vexing You don't seem to understand what "static" does because all your variables are static yet you have a list of instances of the class...

I like to see static variables as shared variables between instances of the class. Or rather, a static variable belongs to the class itself and not instances of the class. Look up the definition.

Let's say we have static string name = "Gabriel"; Now we create two instances of the class Person: Person individual_A = new Person(); Person individual_B = new Person();

now we change name = "$$anonymous$$ikael";

Both individual_A and individual_B has the variable name = "$$anonymous$$ikael". (Or rather, neither have it at all. Because it doesn't belong to them in the first place but to the class itself, thus your error.)