Question

I am trying to compile some simple networking programs on freebsd 8 and running into compilation issues. I am creating a simple client-server programs but no function or structure from networking is not getting compiled.

For eg. I use standard socket() call to create a socket but I run into an error “Called object socket is not a function.”

If I remove the network code then my toy program compiles. For simplicity I have just put a simple example which does not compile. :

#include <stdio.h>                        
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/socket.h>
#include <netinet/in.h>
void main(){
 int socket = socket(PF_INET,SOCK_STREAM,IPPROTO_TCP);
 printf("Could create sockets without any issues.\n");
}

I compiled it with “cc toy_prog.c -lc” and gave me the mentioned error.

Answer 1

A very simple error. You have defined a local variable with the same name as the external function you are trying to call (socket). Try the following and you will get the same error:

int f()
{
    return 0;
}

void main()
{
    int f = f();
}