Question

In my main method, the following code has an error at the line containing the insertion.

hashTable<string, pair<string, string>> friendsHash = hashTable<string, pair<string, string>>(friendTotal);
        if(critChoice == 1)
        {
            for(int counter = 0; counter < friendTotal; counter ++)
            {
                string name = friends[counter].getName();
                string date = friends[counter].getBirthDate();
                string homeTown = friends[counter].getHomeTown();
                friendsHash.insert(pair<name, pair<date, homeTown>>);
            }
        }

The hashMap’s insertion function is as follows:

template<class K, class E>
void hashTable<K, E>::insert(const pair<const K, E>& thePair)
{
    int b = search(thePair.first);

    //check if matching element found
    if(table[b] == NULL)
    {
        //no matching element and table not full
        table[b] = new pair<const K, E> (thePair);
        dSize ++;
    }
    else
    {//check if duplicate or table full
        if(table[b]->first == thePair.first)
        {//duplicate, change table[b]->second
            table[b]->second = thePair.second;
        }
        else //table is full
            throw hashTableFull();
    }
}

The error is that each of the 3 arguments in the insertion function call is not a valid template type argument for parameter

Answer 1

You are muddling the syntax for instantiating a class template to get a type, with that for instantiating a type to get an object.

pair<name, pair<date, homeTown>>

should be

make_pair(name, make_pair(date, homeTown))

or if you can use C++11

{name, {date, homeTown}}