Initialization
Initialization is the process of establishing initial values or a starting state for a program entity, component, resource, or computation before subsequent operation.
Modern C
An initialization function is a function conventionally responsible for putting a supplied object into a valid initial state.
- How it is used
- Establishes a known initial state for objects, especially where allocated storage or variable-length arrays cannot use declaration initializers.
- How deep it goes
- Specifies naming, arguments, null handling, return values, and an element-by-element array routine; does not detail the internals of `rat_init`.
- Examples
- Uses scalar and designated array initializers, then `rat_init`, `rat_new`, and an array initialization loop.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch: define a consistent `_init` function and use it to initialize allocated objects or arrays.
Get Programming: Learn to code with Python
- How it is used
- Provides starting values for variables, loop counters, program inputs, and object attributes before they are used.
- How deep it goes
- Defines variable initialization as name binding and shows how `__init__` establishes object attributes through small Python examples.
- Examples
- Uses arithmetic variables, a minutes-conversion input, a loop counter, a circle’s radius, and an empty stack.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by assigning starting values to variables and defining initial attributes in a class’s `__init__` method.
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100 C++ Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Initialization is the process of giving a C++ object its initial value or state when it is created.
- How it is used
- Uses initialization to prevent incorrect calculations, undefined reads, and objects that violate their class invariants.
- How deep it goes
- Explains declaration placement, primitive initialization, constructor initializer lists, validation, and exception-based construction, stopping short of broader language mechanics.
- Examples
- Demonstrates maximum over negative values, an uninitialized Person age, required constructor arguments, and validated Person construction.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by placing initialization near use, requiring constructor state, validating arguments, and rejecting failed construction.
Read how 100 C++ Mistakes and How to Avoid Them explains initialization →
Modern C, Third Edition
Initialization is the process of providing an initial value for a C object as part of its declaration or creation.
- How it is used
- Establishes objects in a well-defined state when declarations or allocated storage bring them into existence.
- How deep it goes
- Descends from declaration syntax to storage-duration rules and initialization APIs, while deferring deeper object representations.
- Examples
- Uses scalar initialization, designated array elements, omitted zero values, and rat-specific initialization functions.
- What you can do after
- Apply initialization syntax and storage-duration rules, then design consistent initialization functions for allocated data types.
Natural Language Processing in Action, Second Edition
Initialization is the process of assigning starting values to a neural network’s states, weights, and biases before training.
- How it is used
- Uses starting hidden-state patterns to help recurrent networks learn temporal roles during sequence training.
- How deep it goes
- Explains hidden-state value choices, consistency, sample ordering, and risks of structured seeding without detailing initialization algorithms.
- Examples
- Uses zeros, ones, value gradients, consistent seeds, random shuffling, and alphabetized equal-length text samples.
- What you can do after
- Apply it by selecting repeatable hidden-state values and preserving effective sample randomization during recurrent-network training.
Read how Natural Language Processing in Action, Second Edition explains initialization →
Related concepts
- static storageconfigured by · Static storage duration is the storage duration of an object whose lifetime extends throughout program execution.
- storage durationconfigured by · Storage duration is the C property that determines how long an object exists during program execution and how its storage is managed.
- bindingconfigures · Name binding is the association of an identifier with the program entity or value it denotes.
- weightconfigures · A weight is a numerical quantity assigned to an element to represent its contribution, influence, importance, strength, or resource amount in a calculation or system.
- copy assignment operatorcontrasts with · A copy assignment operator is a C++ special member function that copies state from one object into an already existing object of a compatible type.
- arrayconfigures · An array is an indexed, ordered collection of elements arranged in one or more dimensions, with elements accessed by position.
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