enum with cc/gcc

[khdani]

Hello,
I've in my program enumerations defined in this way:

enum ERRORS {FALSE=-1,SUCCESS = 0, TRUE};
enum PTYPE  {BACKGROUND = 0, NON, REDIRECT_RIGHT, REDIRECT_LEFT, PIPE};

but it does not compile with cc nor with gcc ?
it says syntax error on first enum

please help

[CornedBee]

Spread them over several lines and find out where the syntax error really is.

My guess is that FALSE and/or TRUE are macros and get replaced by something else.

[khdani]

you were right, FALSE and/or TRUE are macros in some header file.
Thank you CornedBee

[anon]

enum ERRORS {FILE_NOT_FOUND=-1,FALSE = 0, TRUE};

FTFY

[Salem]

If you're really stuck in future, trying to figure out odd error messages like this, then consider

gcc -E prog.c > prog.i

prog.i will be the result after ALL the pre-processor includes and #defines have been expanded.
It's a large file (usually), and what you want is usually at the end.

But you would see things like

enum ERRORS {0=-1,SUCCESS = 0, 1};

which would clearly indicate that the pre-processor had messed up your code.

By convention, everything which is all UPPERCASE should be regarded as being a macro (there are a few standard exceptions though). Avoiding all uppercase names for all your symbols (which are not macros you know about) is one way of avoiding falling into this particular trap.

[khdani]

Thanks Salem for this helpful advice