Compiler thinks I'm defining when I'm trying to call

I'm trying to create a DX sprite...

Code:

LPD3DXSPRITE d3dspt;
LPDIRECT3DTEXTURE9 sprite;
	
D3DXCreateSprite(d3ddev, &d3dspt);
D3DXCreateTextureFromFile(d3ddev, L"panel1.png", &sprite);

...and I'm getting this...

Code:

render.cpp(25) : error C4430: missing type specifier - int assumed. Note: C++ does not support default-int
render.cpp(25) : error C2365: 'D3DXCreateSprite' : redefinition; previous definition was 'function'
d3dx9core.h(234) : see declaration of 'D3DXCreateSprite'
render.cpp(25) : error C2078: too many initializers
render.cpp(25) : error C2440: 'initializing' : cannot convert from 'LPD3DXSPRITE *' to 'int'
1>        There is no context in which this conversion is possible
render.cpp(26) : error C4430: missing type specifier - int assumed. Note: C++ does not support default-int
render.cpp(26) : error C2365: 'D3DXCreateTextureFromFileW' : redefinition; previous definition was 'function'
d3dx9tex.h(1076) : see declaration of 'D3DXCreateTextureFromFileW'
render.cpp(26) : error C2078: too many initializers
render.cpp(26) : error C2440: 'initializing' : cannot convert from 'LPDIRECT3DTEXTURE9 *' to 'int'
1>        There is no context in which this conversion is possible

are you doing this inside a function?

No, I'm doing it directly in the source file after some preprocessor stuff.

Got it!

I moved it all into a function but I had 'undeclared' errors, then I realised that the two declarations needed a wider scope and I put them at the top of the file and the two next lines inside a function.

Why was it necessary for those lines to be inside a function?

All code (statements which do something at runtime) must be located inside a function.

Having statements at global scope is not possible, because C and C++ programs can be composed of multiple modules. Suppose two modules A.cpp and B.cpp both have code at the global scope. When these two modules are compiled and linked together, which code should execute first -- the statements from A.cpp or the ones from B.cpp?

Because this question has no clear answer, code statements are not allowed at the global scope.

In C++, where it is possible to declare global objects which have constructors, this problem actually still exists. It's not defined what order global objects from different modules will be constructed, and this leads to problems in practice.

Aha, I see.

It will take a while for me to un-learn inline programming. OOP has much potential but right now it just seems like a pain. Thanks for the assist.