Thread: class definition declaring ifstream object

what is wrong with the ifstream declaration here?? i am missing something basic i think, the error is 'ifstream does not name a type'

Code:

#ifndef NONSTATE_CLASSES_H_INCLUDED
#define NONSTATE_CLASSES_H_INCLUDED
#include <fstream>

class PreviewBoards         //rem, i must create Global object
{
    private:

    SDL_Surface* temp;
    SDL_Surface* Savesource;          //the save preview windows
    SDL_Surface* Minipieces;
    SDL_Rect savewin[6];
    SDL_Rect minipeg[49];
    SDL_Rect miniclip[49];

    ifstream Gamefile[6];

    int count;
    int dwn;
    int acr;

    public:

    PreviewBoards(int preview);
    ~PreviewBoards();
};


#endif // NONSTATE_CLASSES_H_INCLUDED

You should qualify the name, i.e., std::ifstream

i did use that and it threw an absolute rack of errors, but if that is the right way then i should check other files for problems.

I note that I/O streams are not copyable, hence objects of your PreviewBoards class will also not be copyable when you have input streams as members.

I am better off creating the stream local to the constructor then? the object is only used once to show a set of saved game preview windows, the actual loading and saving uses a different stream elsewhere

Not necessarily. Do you need the object to be copyable? It sounds like a no, and perhaps some other member variables are not copyable as well. If so, consider disabling the copy constructor and copy assignment operator by declaring them private:

this might be the best route then, this object is not copied and it only requires an int arg to be passed in once. no other interaction takes place