Thread: some confusion about define global variable in c++

Dear friends:
I am writing a compuational fluid dynamics code with c++, and the procedure have many sub-functions to compute different quantities.
I want to defined a head file name as global.h to store all the globla variables, for example, the coordinates of grid points which will be used by ervery sub-functions.

Code:

        global.h
          double x[][];
          double y[][];
           ............
          ................
           ..............

hear is another file to compute the distance between differnet points.
dis.cc
........
........
........


another one to compute the volume of each control volume.
vol.cc
......
.............
...........

the main file:

Code:

     int main（）
{
cout《x[][]<<y[][];
}

I tried to include the head file in each sub files, but it give me some error about "variabel re dine"
could you please tell me how to use the globa variable defined in the global.h file in every sub-functions and the main file.

Regards
Yours Sincerely.

Originally Posted by Xupicor

You could at least wrap those variables with a static class, to make it less "ugly", but your compiling problem probably lies in the fact that you don't use "include guards":
Include guard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Include guards - Cppwiki

Thank you for you reply, dear friends.
but if i use the include guide in the file, some sub function may not know the global variable defined in the header file.
What should i do.

Originally Posted by Salem

Put the word "extern" before all your global variables in the .h file.

And make sure there is only ONE source file which defines each instance of the global variable.

Dear frineds:
thank you very much for your reply. you mean i need two head file. one wihout "external" added, and on with "external" added.?

Originally Posted by laserlight

No. Use the extern keyword for the declaration in the header file. Don't use the extern keyword for the definition in exactly one source file.

You should normally avoid the use of global variables.

thank you very much for your reply. but my software have many variable to share between different subfunction. for example, the coordinates of each grid points will be used in every subfunctinos. Could you please give me some suggestion about how to avoid to use global variables.