Thread: Please help (noob problem)

Hello everyone, this is my first post on this forum. I am new to C++ and I am teaching myself how to program using a guidebook so please recognize that currently, I am nowhere near proficient at C++. In the process of creating my first C++ program (a simple "Hello World!" program) I have run into a minor problem.

My problem: I have g++ on my machine, verified through the command prompt. However, when I attempt to compile and link my program, I run into this error: I type in: g++ Motto.cpp -o Motto.exe into the command prompt as directed by the guidebook however I am confronted with this error message:
g++: error: Motto.cpp: No such file or directory
g++: fatal error: no input files
compilation terminated

I'm trying to figure out what the problem is exactly and how I can fix it. From what I can tell I have followed the directions in the book. I am searching for a thorough, in-depth answer as I am seeking to gain as much knowledge in Programming as I can. If possible, tell me more than "how" to fix it, I want to know why doing what you tell me is going to work. Thank you for taking the time to help a newb.

Regards,

~Cheyne

Idk if this will work but have you tried :
g++ -o Motto.exe Motto.cpp

Originally Posted by MutantJohn

Idk if this will work but have you tried :
g++ -o Motto.exe Motto.cpp

I appreciate you trying to help. I just tried your suggestion and it did not work, same error message unfortunately.

Really? Okay.

You're using g++ so I'm assuming you're on a terminal of some sort. Are you sure you're in the right directory then?

If you're on Linux (and maybe this will work on Cygwin, Idk, I don't use Windows) but typing the command ls will display the content of the directory you're currently in. To change directories, use cd <directory name here>

Use cd to get into the directory that contains Motto.cpp and confirm it's there by using ls.

Originally Posted by MutantJohn

Use cd to get into the directory that contains Motto.cpp and confirm it's there by using ls.

And also confirm if the filesystem is case sensitive, and if it is that the source file is in fact called Motto.cpp and not motto.cpp

Originally Posted by Elysia

Clearly, the OP is using Windows™, so case sensitivity should not be an issue. Anyway, as the error is telling you, it can't find the file you specified. Check if you are in the correct directory where the file resides, or specify a full path.

It's not clear at all. The OP said they typed exactly what the guidebook said to type. If you typed that in Linux, for example, you'd get exactly the same error message from g++.