Question

When I compile my program, I get the following error message:

stringPerm.cpp: In function ‘int main()’:
stringPerm.cpp:12: error: expected primary-expression before ‘word’

I’ve tried defining the variables on a separate line before assigning them to the functions, but I end up getting the same error message.

What is the cause, and how can the problem be fixed?

Here is the code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

string userInput();
int wordLengthFunction(string word);
int permutation(int wordLength);

int main()
{
    string word = userInput();
    int wordLength = wordLengthFunction(string word);

    cout << word << " has " << permutation(wordLength) << " permutations." << endl;
    
    return 0;
}

string userInput()
{
    string word;

    cout << "Please enter a word: ";
    cin >> word;

    return word;
}

int wordLengthFunction(string word)
{
    int wordLength;

    wordLength = word.length();

    return wordLength;
}

int permutation(int wordLength)
{    
    if (wordLength == 1)
    {
        return wordLength;
    }
    else
    {
        return wordLength * permutation(wordLength - 1);
    }    
}

Answer 1

You don’t need “string” in your call to wordLengthFunction().

int wordLength = wordLengthFunction(string word);

should be

int wordLength = wordLengthFunction(word);