Thread: Mysterious error - missing { before *

This makes no sense at all. I went through my code 4 times over and I don't see a single problem. It's causing windows menu functions to not be recognized and I don't see anything wrong. The problem seems to originate in the "stdafx.c" file which is the first include and there aren't any braces used here at all! Here's my set up:

In the root file at the very top before anything (except comments at the top):

Code:

#include "stdafx.h"
#include "My program.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <string.h>
#include "Menus.c"

In stdafx.h (ignoring the comments at the top):

Code:

#define _CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
#pragma once

#define degrees 0.017453292519943295769236907684886 // multiply by this to convert angles in degrees to radians

// Modify the following defines if you have to target a platform prior to the ones specified below.
// Refer to MSDN for the latest info on corresponding values for different platforms.
#ifndef WINVER				// Allow use of features specific to Windows XP or later.
#define WINVER 0x0501		// Change this to the appropriate value to target other versions of Windows.
#endif

#ifndef _WIN32_WINNT		// Allow use of features specific to Windows XP or later.                   
#define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0501	// Change this to the appropriate value to target other versions of Windows.
#endif						

#ifndef _WIN32_WINDOWS		// Allow use of features specific to Windows 98 or later.
#define _WIN32_WINDOWS 0x0410 // Change this to the appropriate value to target Windows Me or later.
#endif

#ifndef _WIN32_IE			// Allow use of features specific to IE 6.0 or later.
#define _WIN32_IE 0x0600	// Change this to the appropriate value to target other versions of IE.
#endif

#define WIN32_LEAN_AND_MEAN		// Exclude rarely-used stuff from Windows headers
// Windows Header Files:
#include <windows.h>

// C RunTime Header Files
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <malloc.h>
#include <memory.h>
#include <tchar.h>


// TODO: reference additional headers your program requires here
// common windows-related stuff
HWND WindowHandle; // window handle
WNDCLASSEX WindowClass; // for a window class
MSG msg; // a message for windows

int ProgramRunning = 1; // the program is running by default

// string stuff
char TextString[2048]; // a string for text to use

// Debug-related things
char DebugDetails[512]; // string for indicating errors
double DebugTest[25]; // for displaying values
int DebugPointerTest[5];

// general variables
char WarningString[512]; // used to display warnings and errors

// other things

FILE *FileHandle; // handle for reading/writing files

When I compile just the above, I get this error

c:\my documents\my programs\My program\My program\stdafx.h(61) : error C2143: syntax error : missing '{' before '*'

It's causing practically every definition to be an error and it makes no sense. If I add the "{" at the top, the errors go away and windows functions are being recognized, but I get a fatal error stating of the end of the file being unexpectedly reached. How I can be getting this error in the very first include where there aren't any braces used at all?

You are also using FILE before you have included stdio.h - I persionally wouldn't put variable and type declarations for my own program inside stdafx.h [but then I try not to have a stdafx.h at all].

--
Mats

You're trying to compile a header file? And you're including a .c file? No wonder stuff isn't working.

I only use stdafx for frequently used elements that almost never change. I've removed the "FILE *" element and put it into my "Menus.c" file. This puts it after the stdio.h and everything else. Do that, however, I get a whole host of errors, involving HMENU and faulty declarations, and that error is still present. These are all my errors (repetition summarized).

Code:

Menus.c
.\Menus.c(200) : error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'MenuMainHandle'
.\Menus.c(200) : error C2059: syntax error : ';'
.\Menus.c(201) : error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'MenuFileHandle'
.\Menus.c(201) : error C2059: syntax error : ';'
.\Menus.c(202) : error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'MenuEditHandle'
.\Menus.c(202) : error C2059: syntax error : ';'
.\Menus.c(203) : error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'MenuViewHandle'
.\Menus.c(203) : error C2059: syntax error : ';'
... +22 similar errors
.\Menus.c(245) : error C2143: syntax error : missing '{' before '*'
.\Menus.c(245) : warning C4431: missing type specifier - int assumed. Note: C no longer supports default-int
.\Menus.c(245) : warning C4218: nonstandard extension used : must specify at least a storage class or a type
.\Menus.c(476) : error C2065: 'MenuMainHandle' : undeclared identifier
.\Menus.c(476) : warning C4013: 'CreateMenu' undefined; assuming extern returning int
.\Menus.c(479) : error C2065: 'MenuFileHandle' : undeclared identifier
.\Menus.c(480) : error C2065: 'MenuEditHandle' : undeclared identifier
.\Menus.c(481) : error C2065: 'MenuViewHandle' : undeclared identifier
.\Menus.c(482) : error C2065: 'MenuObjectHandle' : undeclared identifier
... +10 similar errors
.\Menus.c(522) : warning C4013: 'DestroyMenu' undefined; assuming extern returning int

There's no way this could be happening. I checked all of my files and I don't see any extra } or missing { in them at all. Why it's not recognizing "CreateMenu" and "DestroyMenu" is completely baffling. The only thing I have above the following are a series of defines and comments:

Code:

HMENU MenuMainHandle;
HMENU MenuFileHandle;
HMENU MenuEditHandle;
HMENU MenuViewHandle;
... +11 more similar ones

Look at the order of my includes on the main file (using "stdafx.c" instead) and compare them to what I currently have (the "FILE *" is moved to menus which makes it after everything). It's like there's an extra } but there aren't any. I used find to count them.