multiple definition of foo, first defined here

Hi,
I am using C++, but a lot of the code is c-style (not explicitly using classes and such).

In tx_mpi_client.cpp, I have at the top of the file,

Code:

int myrank, num_ranks;

in tx_client.h, I include tx_mpi_client.h

in tx_client.cpp I have

Code:

int myrank, num_ranks;

also at the top of the file, before any functions.

Why is it telling me that myrank and num_ranks were already defined? They aren't static variables, so they shouldn't be accessible to anything else?

Very confused.

Here are the errors:

tx_mpi_client.o.bss+0x0): multiple definition of `myrank'
tx_client.o.bss+0x0): first defined here
tx_mpi_client.o.bss+0x4): multiple definition of `num_ranks'
tx_client.o.bss+0x4): first defined here

Because they aren't static variables, they are accessible to anything (and everything) else.

Did you intend to have one set of globals? If so, you should make one of them extern.

Did you intend to have two completely different set of variables at file scope? If so, mark them static (which will close them off to other translation units).

(Also, I am going to assume you have a good reason for doing things this way.)

Those two lines are outside any function, each line is a definition. Assuming tx_client.cpp #include's tx_client.h, the compiler, when compiling tx_client.cpp, sees both lines, so sees two definitions. Then compiler dutifully complains because it is required to enforce the "one definition rule": No variable is allowed to be defined more than once, according to the standard.

If your purpose in having the line in tx_client.h is to share the two variables as globals between source files, then add "extern" before the line in the header. If some other source file (say foo.cpp) #include's tx_client.h, then make sure there is only one definition in your project. In other words, if tx_client.cpp is in your project, don't have a definition in foo.cpp

If you intend to only use the variables in tx_client.cpp (i.e. it is local to that file) don't put the definition into the header. Optionally, mark them as static like tabstop mentioned. In C++, it is sometimes considered better to place them inside an unnamed namespace though.

I only declare the variables in the .cpp files, not the .h files.

Originally Posted by grumpy

Those two lines are outside any function, each line is a definition. Assuming tx_client.cpp #include's tx_client.h, the compiler, when compiling tx_client.cpp, sees both lines, so sees two definitions. Then compiler dutifully complains because it is required to enforce the "one definition rule": No variable is allowed to be defined more than once, according to the standard.

If your purpose in having the line in tx_client.h is to share the two variables as globals between source files, then add "extern" before the line in the header. If some other source file (say foo.cpp) #include's tx_client.h, then make sure there is only one definition in your project. In other words, if tx_client.cpp is in your project, don't have a definition in foo.cpp

If you intend to only use the variables in tx_client.cpp (i.e. it is local to that file) don't put the definition into the header. Optionally, mark them as static like tabstop mentioned. In C++, it is sometimes considered better to place them inside an unnamed namespace though.

Originally Posted by dayalsoap

I only declare the variables in the .cpp files, not the .h files.

In this case, by declare you presumably also mean define. Hence, this is a problem: you should only define the variables in a single .cpp file, not in "the .cpp files". If you need to access the variables from other source files, you should declare them as extern in those other source files, or perhaps in a header that is included in those other source files.

Right, I don't want them to be accessible to other files. Each one has its own myrank and num_ranks, etc.

Originally Posted by dayalsoap

Right, I don't want them to be accessible to other files. Each one has its own myrank and num_ranks, etc.

In this case another of tabstop's suggestions applies:

Originally Posted by tabstop

Did you intend to have two completely different set of variables at file scope? If so, mark them static (which will close them off to other translation units).

However, in C++ we tend to prefer the use of an unnamed namespace instead, e.g.,

Code:

namespace
{
    int myrank, num_ranks;
}

That said, why do you need to do this? Why are these variables not local variables, or perhaps encapsulated within a class?