Weird error message

When I try to compile my C program, I'm getting this error message.... Any thoughts?

Project1v4.c:81: error: expected ‘;’, ‘,’ or ‘)’ before ‘.’ token
Project1v4.c:102: error: expected ‘;’, ‘,’ or ‘)’ before ‘.’ token

Code:

int InObject(char shape.type, int p.x, int p.y, int shape.arg0, int shape.arg1, int shape.arg2) {
}
int CheckArgs(char shape.type, int shape.color.red, int shape.color.green, int shape.color.blue, int shape.arg0, int shape.arg1, int shape.arg2, int numArgs) {
}

Yes, you have dots in all your variable names.

You're only allowed dots when you're specifically referring to members of a struct/union/class.

I know, all of those variables ARE in structs!

I believe Salem is going for his Wizards "know it all" title, but for the rest of us mere mortals, we need to see more of the relevant code.

This is the InObject function that creates the error message.

Code:

int InObject(char shape.type, int p.x, int p.y, int shape.arg0, int shape.arg1, int shape.arg2) {
   if (shape.type == 'R') {
      return Rectangle(shape.arg0, shape.arg1, p.x, p.y);
   }
   if (shape.type == 'C') {
      return Circle(shape.arg0, p.x, p.y);
   }
   if (shape.type == 'E') {
      return Ellipse(shape.arg0, shape.arg1, shape.arg2, p.x, p.y);
   }
   if (shape.type == '!') {
      return Exclaim(shape.arg0, shape.arg1, p.x, p.y);
   }
   if (shape.type == 'H') {
      return LetterH(shape.arg0, shape.arg1, p.x, p.y, shape.arg2);
   }
   if (shape.type == 'L') {
      return LetterL(shape.arg0, shape.arg1, p.x, p.y, shape.arg2);
   }
}

And Salem's original advice remains correct. Variable or argument names with a . are invalid in C.

If you want to pass a struct to a function, pass that struct (by value or by pointer) as a single argument.

If the caller retrieves values of struct members in order to pass them to a function, the function does not need to know that.

Originally Posted by cpsestudent

I know, all of those variables ARE in structs!

But do you know that inside the function, that makes no difference at all?

For example:

Code:

struct tTest
  { int x;
     int y; }
 
// do a multiply
int multiply(int a, int b)    //--- note the variable names here
  { return a * b;  }

int main (void)
  { int z; 
    struct tTest test;
     test.x = 10;
     test.y = 5;
    
    z =  multiply(test.x,test.y);

    Printf("%d\n" , z);   
  
    return 0; }

Note that in multiply() you *cannot* use dotted varaible names. C doesn't know what to do with that. You can pass in a dotted name such as test.x when calling the function but you cannot put the dotted names in a function's parameter list.