char arrays as class member variables

[drsmooth]

i am trying to declare a char[][] like this:

Granery::foodNames[5][100] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

while in the header i have:

      #ifndef Granery_h
      #define Granery_h
      class Granery
      {
        public:
         Granery();
         static char foodNames[5][100];
      };
      #endif

when i compile this i get an error :

[C++ Error] Granery.cpp(5): E2188 Expression syntax

that error is on the line in the .cpp code
Granery::foodNames[5][100] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

i have also tried:
Granery::foodNames = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

any help with how i shud be initializing the char[][]?

thanks,
ken

[Ganon11]

Why are you using character arrays in C++? That's what std::string was made for.

[drsmooth]

ok..good point but i still have the same problem with the string[]

Granery::foodNames = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

declared in the Granery.cpp default contructor gives me this:

[C++ Error] Granery.cpp(7): E2188 Expression syntax


i realize this may sound like a dumb question, but for some reason im having a hard time with this


thanks again
ken

[RRick]

Your basic problem is that when you try to initialize the static variable, you are not declaring it correctly. When inititializing a static variable outside the class, you have to include the type. In your case, you need to add char before the name. You also need to make the char constant since you're initializing the array to constant strings.

For strings you woud write:

 .....
const string foodnames[5]
.....
 const string Granery::foodNames[5] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

[drsmooth]

ok would this be correct...

const string Granery::foodNames = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

with:

const static string foodNames[5];

in the header?

i set it up like that and got this error:
[C++ Error] Granery.cpp(7): E2089 Identifier 'foodNames' cannot have a type qualifier


thanks alot
ken

[weaknessforcats]

What is the problem?

You declare a static variable in a class (this does not define it) and then you define it outside the class in the source file:

//you iinclude the header
class Granery
      {
        public:
         Granery();
         static char foodNames[5][100];
      };
//in the source file
char Granery::foodNames[5][100] = "Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};
 

[drsmooth]

my problem is when i put this line in my source:

string Granery::foodNames[5] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

i get this error:

[C++ Error] Granery.cpp(7): E2089 Identifier 'foodNames' cannot have a type qualifier


i feel like i must be missing something because what you're saying makes sense, its just not working...or at least i think so

[weaknessforcats]

string Granery::foodNames[5] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};

i get this error:

[C++ Error] Granery.cpp(7): E2089 Identifier 'foodNames' cannot have a type qualifier


i feel like i must be missing something because what you're saying makes sense, its just not working...or at least i think so

Yes you are.

The array you are creating is an array of 5 strings. The array in the Granery class is a char [5][100] array.

Look at my post #6.

[drsmooth]

actually i updated it in the granery header too... sorry i failed to mention that

static string foodNames[5];

thats in the header

[weaknessforcats]

actually i updated it in the granery header too... sorry i failed to mention that

static string foodNames[5];

thats in the header

Maybe you should repost all of the code so I can see what is currently there. That is, if you still have a problem.

[drsmooth]

ok sorry... here is the granery class right now:

#include "Granery.h"
#include <string>
using namespace std;
 
Granery::Granery()
{
 string Granery::foodNames[5] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};
}

and here is the granery class header:

#include <string>
using namespace std;
 
#ifndef Granery_h
#define Granery_h
class Granery
{
  public:
   Granery();
   static string foodNames[5];
};
#endif

the error i get is on the code at line 7 in the granery class...the error is :

[C++ Error] Granery.cpp(7): E2089 Identifier 'foodNames' cannot have a type qualifier

[Ganon11]

You are trying to assign foodNames a value inside the constructor - but the constructor is called whenever an object of type Granery is made. foodNames should only be given a value once. You should give it a value outside of the constructor, as shown before.

[drsmooth]

i feel like my computer just hates me...

now i fized that so i have:

#include "Granery.h"
#include <string>
using namespace std;
 
string Granery::foodNames[5] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};
 
Granery::Granery()
{
 
}

in my cpp code...now i get a compiler error:
[C++ Fatal Error] _string.c(565): F1004 Internal compiler error at 0xc5d0f9 with base 0xc10000

and the __string.c code pops up...


it just doesnt end...lol

thanks again
ken

[weaknessforcats]

in my cpp code...now i get a compiler error:
[C++ Fatal Error] _string.c(565): F1004 Internal compiler error at 0xc5d0f9 with base 0xc10000

and the __string.c code pops up...


it just doesnt end...lol

Yeah. Especially since the code below compiles and links without error using Visual Studio.NET 2005. I just copied and pasted the code you posted.

class Granery
{
  public:
   Granery();
   static string foodNames[5];
};
string Granery::foodNames[5] = {"Meat","Fruit","Wheat","Vegetables","Dairy"};
 
Granery::Granery()
{
 
}
int main()
{
 
}
 

[drsmooth]

so i should just totally trash my compiler? lol i guess ill take it up with Borland or whoever makes this compiler...


thanks alot for your help, at least i know it should work

[RRick]

Check and see how old your Borland compiler is. If its pretty old (2+ years) then your problem might be with the STL library and the compiler. Older compilers have had no end of troubles with the STL.

Take a look at the Sgi STL web site. They might have a version that works with your compiler.