Thread: returning a string value???

Hi all. I want to know how to return the value of a string...when I try to do that, it gives me an error about converting a char * to an int.
So, how do I return the value of a string?
I have tried:

Code:

return stringname;
return *stringname;

I have to go for awhile, so don't expect any immediate replies from me. Thanks in advance.
Edit:
To be more specific, I am returning the value of a string that the user typed in, for example:

Code:

class littleCrab {
public:
	littleCrab::whatcolor() {
		cout<<"What color is your crab?"<<endl;
			cin>>color;
		return *color;
//^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

	}
	littleCrab::howmanyeyes() {
		cout<<"How many eyes does your crab have?"<<endl;
		cin>>eyes;
		cout<<"Your crab has "<<eyes<<endl;
		return eyes;
	}
private:
	char *color;
	int eyes;
	int legs;
};

Awe, come'on! Someone must know!

Well, "color" doesn't have any space allocated to it, so "cin >> color" will likely just crash your program. However, to return a character pointer correctly, you just return the name of the variable itself. (Assuming it actually has something allocated for it.)

Why don't you just use the string class instead? Otherwise, you'll need to first learn how dynamic memory allocation works first, because as stated, you don't have anything allocated for your "string".

Quzah.

Probalbly because it can't convert a 'std::string' to an 'int'.

Oh, I suppose that's not good enough for you. Well, how about actually giving your function the return value, instead of letting it default to an integer?

Quzah.

You'd be better off using a name space than typedefing the string.

Quzah.

You misunderstood. Why don't you just use:

Code:

using namespace std;

And just do:

Code:

class foo
{
    ...stufff...
};

string  foo::returnsastring( )
{
    string bar;
    ...stuff...

    return bar;
}

And like I said, skip typedef all together? I didn't say to use a namespace for your class. Use the namespace for std so you don't keep having to type "std::", AND you don't need to typedef it.

Quzah.