Thread: Linker Error - Undefined Reference

Yes I know there are threads on this but ive viewed multiple ones and i just don't get it. This is my first time operating with things like this and my teacher didn't even explain it to us so im lost.

Basically I have a program, but all of my references to the stuff in the given .h files give a linker error.

For example,

in externs.h there is a segment of declarations like this:

Code:

extern int            Agent;              ///< Current user
extern event_type     Event;              ///< Current event
extern char*          Op_Names[];         ///< Table of operator names
extern char*          Event_Names[];      ///< Table of event names
extern char*          Prog_Names[];       ///< Program file pointers
extern char*          Prog_File_Names[];  ///< Name of program files
extern int            Num_Devices;        ///< Number of devices 
extern int            Num_Terminals;      ///< Number of user terminals

Now I need to use these things in my obj1.c which has
#include "externs.h"

(amongst others)

Code:

void
Interrupt( )
{
           //Pointer to the head of the list.
           event_list *head;
           head = Event_List;
           
           //Setting Clock, Agent, and Event to their respective fields
           Agent = head->agent;
           Event = head->event;
           Clock = head->time;
           

         //other code unimportant to the question im asking.           
          
}

and everything i reference from externs.h gives me a linker error. Is there a step I'm missing? Do I need to do something with the files to make them correctly link? Once again sorry for creating a new thread but I couldn't get it from what i saw online so i had to ask for help on my specific case.

OK thanks. Now I just need to find out if they already are defined somewhere that i don't know or if i have to make them myself.

but at least now i know, thanks.

You either need to link in an object file or library that contains the actual variables (the "extern" versions just describe the type so the compiler can make sure you're using them correctly). If you're using gcc, you can do something like:

Code:

$ gcc -Wall obj1.c file_with_definitions_for_extern_variables

If that file ends in .c, gcc will compile both and link them into one executable. If that file is already an object file (already been compiled), it will only compile obj1.c, then link that with the existing object file and make an executable.

Note, the -Wall has nothing to do with compiling multiple files. It just turns the warnings all the way up, with is good practice.