Simple C++ Won't Work...

**jothesmo** · 11-24-2005

Greetings,

I've just started learning C++ today (my friend suggested it) and I've made my first program. Unfortunately, it won't even compile... This may be due to the fact that I have a Mac, and that the header file conio.h was missing from my system so I had to download one from the Internet. The compiler I use (Xcode) lists 16 errors; 15 in the file conio.h and 1 in my main file. The code is as follows:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <conio.h>
#include <string.h>

using namespace std;

int main () {
    char key;
    cout << "I'm a simple C++ program.\n\n";
	key = getch();
	cout << "To quit the program, press " << key;
	key = getch();
    return 0;
}

The error in this code is the first declaration of "key = getch();". The error displayed is "error: 'getch' was not declared in this scope". This may be due, again, to my possibly faulty conio.h.

Can anyone aid me in my predicament?

**major_small** · 11-24-2005

well, don't use non-standard code for one...

remove the getch()'s and use the standard ways of taking in input... here's how I'd do that:

Code:

#include <iostream>
//those other two are not needed

using namespace std;	//shake this habit eventually

int main()
{
	char key;
	cout<<"I'm a simple C++ program\n\n";
	cin>>key;	//this is a more standard way of taking in a char
	cout<<"To quit the program, press [ENTER]\n";	//this didn't do what you thought it did.
	cin.get();	//use this to wait for a keypress
	return 0;
}

**arjunajay** · 11-25-2005

Originally Posted by major_small

well, don't use non-standard code for one...

remove the getch()'s and use the standard ways of taking in input... here's how I'd do that:

Code:

#include <iostream>
//those other two are not needed

using namespace std;	//shake this habit eventually

int main()
{
	char key;
	cout<<"I'm a simple C++ program\n\n";
	cin>>key;	//this is a more standard way of taking in a char
	cout<<"To quit the program, press [ENTER]\n";	//this didn't do what you thought it did.
	cin.get();	//use this to wait for a keypress
	return 0;
}

mixing 'cin>>' and 'cin.get[line]()' might cause buffer problems, right?

**jothesmo** · 11-25-2005

Thanks everyone for your speedy replies. It works like a charm. Here's the code I have now:

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

int alert();

int main () {
	cout << "Hey!\nAlert! Alert:\n";
	cout << "I'm a C++ program! YAY!\n\n";
	alert();
	cout << "To quit the program, press [ENTER]\n";
	cin.get();
	return 0;
}

int alert() {
	string message;
	message = "This is an initialized array with a maximum capacity of 255 characters. Have a nice day!\n\n";
	cout << message << endl;
	return 0;
}

I'll be sure to recommend this forum to all of my friends.

**Raigne** · 11-25-2005

Just a question why do you have the

Code:

 
int alert() {
	string message;
	message = "This is an initialized array with a maximum capacity of 255 characters. Have a nice day!\n\n";
	cout << message << endl;
	return 0;
}

why not just do this instead

Code:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
 
using namespace std;
 
int main () {
string message = "This is an initialized array with a maximum capacity of 255 characters. Have a nice day!\n\n";
	cout << "Hey!\nAlert! Alert:\n";
	cout << "I'm a C++ program! YAY!\n\n";
	cout << message << endl;
	cout << "To quit the program, press [ENTER]\n";
	cin.get();
	return 0;
}

just a note the alert() just seems like a waste of code considering you dont need the extra block of code for it to work. The one I rewrote will work exactly the same as yours it just is one block of code instead of two

**dwks** · 11-25-2005

I'm sure jothesmo's learning about functions.

BTW, in your code, you don't need the function prototype for alert(), since it no longer exists.

**Salem** · 11-25-2005

> message = "This is an initialized array with a maximum capacity of 255 characters
Who said it was 255?
I know of no such restriction unless it's something specific to your broken compiler.

**Raigne** · 11-25-2005

It could just be a random string that he took from text in the tutorial. Just a thought I was just asking him why he used excessive code for a simple program. Oops I forgot to delete that prototype. Oh well it is fixed now anyways.

**jothesmo** · 11-25-2005

Originally Posted by Salem

> message = "This is an initialized array with a maximum capacity of 255 characters
Who said it was 255?
I know of no such restriction unless it's something specific to your broken compiler.

My compiler isn't broken, it merely does not have the conio.h file. I'm not sure if Apple thought that it would be needed, since not many people compile C++ on a Mac (to my knowledge). I had originally wrote that text because I had the string set at a limit of 255 chars. Afterwards, I removed this and forgot to edit the code.

Raigne, thank you for pointing that out. I have been working on the code, and I now have a slightly larger file. Here is an excerpt:

Code:

int main () {
	string message = "This is an initialized array. Have a nice day!\n";
	cout << "\nGreetings! I am a C++ program written by Jonathan Campbell!\n\n";
	cout << message << endl;
	name();
	quiz_intro();
	quiz();
	cout << "To quit the program, press [ENTER]\n";
	cin.get();
	cin.get();
	return 0;
}

int name() {
	cout << "What's your name? ";
	getline (cin, uname);
	cout << "Hello " << uname << "!\n\n";
	cout << "How are you today? Please reply with fine or ill. ";
	loop:
	cin >> uhealth;
	if (uhealth == "fine")
		cout << "That's great! I am also feeling " << uhealth << ".\n\n";
	else if (uhealth == "ill")
		cout << "Really? How depressing. You know, I am also feeling " << uhealth << ".\n\n";
	else {
		cout << "\aPlease enter fine or ill.\n\n";
		goto loop;
	}
	return 0;
}

int quiz_intro() {
	cout << "Hey " << uname << ", do you want to take a little quiz? Please reply with yes or no. ";
	loop:
	cin >> uquiz1;
	if (uquiz1 == "yes")
		cout << "Great! Let's start.\n\n";
	else if (uquiz1 == "no")
		cout << "Too bad. :)\n\n";
	else {
		cout << "\aPlease enter yes or no.\n\n";
		goto loop;
	}
	return 0;
}

**LightsOut06** · 11-25-2005

goto's are evil. please learn loops.

**Raigne** · 11-25-2005

Yes goto's are evil. I would reccomend using do/while loops, or for... I dont reall see the point in goto other than to mess stuff up. Well anyways if you use do/while be very carful not to intterupt your loop. or make it so that after so far in the program you cant go back. I did that and could figure out how to fix it and had to rewrite the entire code. And rewriting 400 lines of code sux.

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