Why is this’s friend function not accessing private variables???

[Ctylersills]

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;


class StankFist
{
    public:
        StankFist(){stinkyVar=0;}
    private:
          int stinkyVar;
    friend void stinkysFriend(StankFist &sfo);
};


void stinkyFriend(StankFist &sfo)
{
    sfo.stinkyVar=99;
    cout << sfo.stinkyVar<< endl;
}


int main()
{
    StankFist bob;
    stinkysFriend(bob);
    return 0;
}

Why am i getting this error when the function is a friend?

error: ‘stinkyVar” is a private member of ‘StankFist’
sfo.stinkyVar=99;
- —^

note: declared private here
int stinkyVar;
- - ^

[laserlight]

What happens when you rename stinkyFriend to stinkysFriend?

[Ctylersills]

What happens when you rename stinkyFriend to stinkysFriend?

fair enough, you got me. BUT, since I switched to C++ the compiler used ALMOST always catches my typos so I thought It was right and didn’t pay attention. I got way to dependent WAY to fast to error messages that end in “did you mean?” lol Thanks LL

[laserlight]

Unfortunately, the issue here is that your mistake would normally have triggered a link error, but because access to a private member variable was involved, it triggered a compile error first, and so you never did get to see the link error, but instead were presented with an error that had to do with accessing a private member variable.

[Ctylersills]

Unfortunately, the issue here is that your mistake would normally have triggered a link error, but because access to a private member variable was involved, it triggered a compile error first, and so you never did get to see the link error, but instead were presented with an error that had to do with accessing a private member variable.

AHHH, that makes total sense, I love getting an inside view of how the compiler works. Anyways, like I said I have to stop being so dependent on the “You spelled it wrong dummy” errors though, and start using search and find to make sure i’m not misspelling anything before I post.