Thread: break statement not within loop or switch error, cant figure out the problem, help!

  1. #1
    Registered User
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    May 2011
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    9

    Post break statement not within loop or switch error, cant figure out the problem, help!

    so this is my code, it's suppose to locate the first occurrence of value and return its position and return -1 if not found. i dont understand why it's giving me this error, please help!

    Code:
    int list_search( itemType value, List L ) {
        if (L->count==0) {
                         printf("Warning: empty array!\n");
                          }
        else {
             int i;
             for (i=0; i<L->count; ++i);{
                 if (L->data[i]==value) {
                    return i+1;
                    break;
                 }
             }
             return -1;
        }
    }

  2. #2
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
    Join Date
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    Singapore
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    If you indented your code carefully, you might have spotted the problem:
    Code:
    int list_search( itemType value, List L ) {
        if (L->count==0) {
            printf("Warning: empty array!\n");
        }
        else {
            int i;
            for (i=0; i<L->count; ++i)
                /* do nothing in loop body */;
    
            {
                if (L->data[i]==value) {
                    return i+1;
                    break;
                }
            }
            return -1;
        }
    }
    In any case, the break would be unreachable since it comes right after a return statement.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bjarne Stroustrup (2000-10-14)
    I get maybe two dozen requests for help with some sort of programming or design problem every day. Most have more sense than to send me hundreds of lines of code. If they do, I ask them to find the smallest example that exhibits the problem and send me that. Mostly, they then find the error themselves. "Finding the smallest program that demonstrates the error" is a powerful debugging tool.
    Look up a C++ Reference and learn How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

  3. #3
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    1,262
    And another issue; you don't return anything for an "empty array".

  4. #4
    Registered User
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    May 2011
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    9
    thanks guys!

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