Thread: Newb Question

  1. #1
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    Question Newb Question

    I've just started programming in C++, err at least learning how. I've programmed in VB6 and VB.Net for a long time, I just decided I should learn a new language.

    Anyway, I went over to Microsofts' site and got Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition as a compiler. I've created an empty project which right now just contains Main.cpp and Libraries.h, but it won't compile. It keeps telling me the exe of the project cant be found, even though it builds successfully. Am I missing something as a c++ newb or what?

    Here's the code, in case it matters. It does nothing at the moment, but I'm still confused as to why it wont compile and run.

    Main.cpp
    Code:
    #include "Libraries.h"
    
    void Main()
    {
    	return 0;
    }
    Libraries.h
    Code:
    /* LIBRARIES HEADER FILE
    
    	Used to refer parts of the project
    	to some of the more commonly used
    	libraries. */
    
    #include <iostream>
    using namespace std;

  2. #2
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    void Main should be int main

    By the way, do not use using directives like using namespace std; in header files, except within a restricted scope. It is harmless in your example, but you might as well adopt good habits now.
    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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    Ok, I change void Main to int Main like you said, and I took the standard namespace out of the library header file and put it into main, under #include "Libraries.h", and it still wont build :/

    It failed when it was linking, with this error
    'LINK : fatal error LNK1561: entry point must be defined'

    Being a newb to C++ I have no idea what linking is, or how to fix that error. :/ I saw in one of the tips and tricks thing that some compilers won't compile some code for some reason, but I figure when it's this basic it has to be an error somewhere on my part.

  4. #4
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    The "entry point" thing refers to the global main function. What you have is a global Main function, which in C++ is not the same as the global main function.
    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

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    Ohh. I forget how picky C++ is with capitalization xD
    thanks a ton! :]

    One last question, just for clearification.
    Using my library header file to include different things [ie. #include <iostream>] and then referancing my .cpp files to Libraries.h is ok, but putting things like 'using namespace std;' is a no-go, correct?

  6. #6
    C++ Witch laserlight's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fthmdg
    Using my library header file to include different things [ie. #include <iostream>] and then referancing my .cpp files to Libraries.h is ok, but putting things like 'using namespace std;' is a no-go, correct?
    Pretty much yes. You can find out more about them later.
    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

  7. #7
    and the Hat of Guessing tabstop's Avatar
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    They're both "ok" in that they're both legal, but neither is good style, as I understand the term. There's not any point in making a header file of just #include statements; and there's not really any point in trying to make one Libraries.h file that every one of your program uses -- not every program needs <cmath>, and not every program requires <string>, and not every program requires <vector>, so making every program include some large set of include files that it doesn't need is wasteful.

    (EDIT: Obviously if you have your own common functions, putting that in a .h file is perfectly normal. But really, <iostream> is probably the only header that I would expect to find every time in a program.)
    Last edited by tabstop; 04-08-2010 at 11:13 AM.

  8. #8
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    Well there are, more-so will be, more custom functions that the majority of my program will use, so the library header is just for those.

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