Thread: 'error: invalid operands to binary *' problem

  1. #1
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    'error: invalid operands to binary *' problem

    I've declared a matrix array but I've had some problems trying to solve this

    Code:
    float dot_product(double *, double *, size_t); 
    
    
    float 
    dot_product(double * weights[6][16], double * X[16], size_t n)
    {
            float Net[6]={0,0,0,0,0,0};
            size_t i;
     
            for (i = 1; i < 16; i++) {
                 Net[1] += weights[1][i] * X[i];
                 Net[2] += weights[2][i] * X[i];
                 Net[3] += weights[3][i] * X[i];
                 Net[4] += weights[4][i] * X[i];
                 Net[5] += weights[5][i] * X[i];
                 Net[6] += weights[6][i] * X[i];
            }
            return Net[6];
    
    
    }

    It produces the following errors

    Code:
    Line 42: error: conflicting types for 'dot_product'Line 38: error: previous declaration of 'dot_product' was hereIn function 'dot_product':Line 47: error: invalid operands to binary *Line 48: error: invalid operands to binary *Line 49: error: invalid operands to binary *Line 50: error: invalid operands to binary *Line 51: error: invalid operands to binary *Line 52: error: invalid operands to binary
    Any help?

  2. #2
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    Code:
    float dot_product(double *, double *, size_t);
    is not a valid forward declaration for

    Code:
    float 
    dot_product(double * weights[6][16], double * X[16], size_t n)
    {
    Kurt

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Breslin View Post
    Code:
    float dot_product(double *, double *, size_t); 
    
    
    float 
    dot_product(double * weights[6][16], double * X[16], size_t n)
    {
            float Net[6]={0,0,0,0,0,0};
            size_t i;
     
            for (i = 1; i < 16; i++) {
                 Net[1] += weights[1][i] * X[i];
                 Net[2] += weights[2][i] * X[i];
                 Net[3] += weights[3][i] * X[i];
                 Net[4] += weights[4][i] * X[i];
                 Net[5] += weights[5][i] * X[i];
                 Net[6] += weights[6][i] * X[i];
            }
            return Net[6];
    }
    First, always keep declaration and definition same (copy-pasting is legitimate here):

    Code:
    float 
    dot_product(double * weights[6][16], double * X[16], size_t n);
    
    float 
    dot_product(double * weights[6][16], double * X[16], size_t n)
    {
        /* ... */
    }
    You should read more about array/pointer declarations. The first parameter "weights" is a two-dimensional array of "pointers to doubles" - not just "doubles". The second parameter isn't better.

    The first dimension of array parameter is meaningless, because user can always pass an array which is larger or smaller. However, you can keep it to make it a bit self-documenting.

    The thing necessary to do is to remove the asterix:

    Code:
    float
    dot_product(double weights[][16], double X[], std::size_t n);
    
    float
    dot_product(double weights[][16], double X[], std::size_t n)
    {
        /* ... */
    }
    Last edited by kmdv; 04-05-2013 at 02:24 PM.

  4. #4
    Algorithm Dissector iMalc's Avatar
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    Arrays start at zero, not one. Valid indexes in this case are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

    You cannot return a local array, so I don't know what you plan on having this function do.

    I don't think you want any of those parameters to be pointers either.
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