[bruce343434]

Sadly most C++ projects are organized in a way that hampers static functions. To achieve incremental builds, stuff is split into separate source files that are compiled and optimized separately, and only at the final step linked, which requires symbols of course.

I get it though, because carefully structuring your #includes to get a single translation unit is messy, and compile times get too long.

[cyco130]

That’s where link-time optimization enters the picture. It’s expensive but tolerable for production builds of small projects and feasible for mid-sized ones.

[1718627440]

That's one major reason why I don't like C++. I think the concept of header and implementation files is fine, but idiomatic C++ code basically makes it broken. Surely a class should go into the implementation file? (Internal) Types belong into the implementation, what belongs into headers are interfaces and function signatures. A class is a type, so it does not belong into a header file.

[gpderetta]

[[gnu::visibility(hidden)]] (or the equivalent for your compiler), might help.