Question

I’m using Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition to compile the following code in a header file:

bool is_active(widget *w);

widget is defined earlier as,

typedef void widget;

The compiler complains with the error:

>c:\projects\engine\engine\engine.h(451) : error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'is_active'
1>c:\projects\engine\engine\engine.h(451) : error C2059: syntax error : ';'
1>c:\projects\engine\engine\engine.h(451) : error C2059: syntax error : 'type'

I get similar errors for all other functions returning bool.

NB. The following compiles fine:

void  widget_activate_msg(widget *g,  message *msg);

Why would this give a compiler error?

Some people have requested I post the code – here it is:

Line 449: widget * widget_new_from_resource(int resource_id);
Line 450: void     widget_delete_one(widget *w);
Line 451: bool     is_active(widget *w);

EDIT – this is now fixed:

@BatchyX commented below about whether I was using C or C++. What I didn’t know was that Visual C++ 2008 will compile any file by default (but you can override this setting ) with the .c extension as C and those with .cpp as C++. ( the error was caused when compiling a .c file including “Engine.h” ).

Answer 1

Most likely, something above this line has a syntax error. Did you forget }s or ; after a class declaration ?

Also make sure you are using C++ and not C. C doesn’t have a bool type. If you’re using C, then use an int instead.