C++ Help with cin.getline

I'm trying to get an array of names stored into a data structure, but I keep getting this odd error of C2661

(error C2661: 'std::basic_istream<_Elem,_Traits>::getline' : no overloaded function takes 1 arguments
with
[
_Elem=char,
_Traits=std::char_traits<char>
]
)

I can't figure out how to fix this error, any help would be appreciated.(code included for reference)

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct StudentRecords
{
char name;
};

void main()
{
StudentRecords student[5];
for (int s = 0; s < 2; s++)
{
cout << "Enter student name ----> ";
cin.getline(student[s].name );
cout << endl;
}

---

Code:

---

//do this ...
#include <string>

// and this in struct:
string name;

---

and if you can't understand why, you need to learn a little more C++.

Already tried that, still get the same error of

error C2661: 'std::basic_istream<_Elem,_Traits>::getline' : no overloaded function takes 1 arguments
with
[
_Elem=char,
_Traits=std::char_traits<char>
]

with

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

//structures
struct StudentRecords
{
        string name;
};

void main()
{

  StudentRecords student[5];
  for (int s = 0; s < 2; s++)
  {
  cout << "Enter student name ----> ";
  cin.getline(student[s].name);
  cout << endl;
}

---

The getline() overloaded for std::string takes two parameters: the istream and the string object.

As such, you should write:

Code:

---

getline(cin, student[s].name);

---

Note that void main() should be int main(), and that you should avoid placing using directives before struct/class definitions since they are likely to be placed in header files, and using directives should not be used in header files except in a local scope.

a quick question:
why cin.getline() takes the size of the string to read?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by manav

a quick question:
why cin.getline() takes the size of the string to read?

---

Because it's late, and my brain is farting.

Quote:

---

why cin.getline() takes the size of the string to read?

---

Because it takes a pointer to an array of char (a C style string), so it needs to know when to stop writing so as to avoid buffer overflow.

laser, why would it only be accepting the first cin of the character string and not allowing me further input, ex. I change the loop to 5 instead of two

output
Enter Student Name ----> Suzy Snoddgrass

Enter Student Name ---->

Enter Student Name ---->

Enter Student Name ---->

Enter Student Name ---->

Quote:

---

laser, why would it only be accepting the first cin of the character string and not allowing me further input, ex. I change the loop to 5 instead of two

---

It should not be doing that. What is your current code?

Code:

---

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

//structures
struct StudentRecords
{
       
        string name;
        int id;
        int scores[4];
        double avg;
        char grade;

};

StudentRecords getStudent();
void fillRecs( StudentRecords [], int);
void display( const StudentRecords [], int);


void main()
{
//Declare and Allocate Record
  StudentRecords student[5];
  fillRecs(student, 5);
  display(student, 5);

}
       
StudentRecords getStudent()
{
        StudentRecords student;
       
        double a = 0;
        cout << "Enter student name ----> ";
        getline(cin, student.name);
        cout << endl;
        cout << "Enter student ID number ---> ";
        cin >> student.id;
        cout << endl;
        cout<<"Enter the student scores: ";
        for(int i=0; i<4; i++)
        {       
                cin>>student.scores[i];
                a+= student.scores[i];
        }       
        a = a/4;
        student.avg = a;
        cout<<endl;

        return student;
}

void fillRecs( StudentRecords r[], int n)
{

  for( int i=0; i<n; i++)
      r[i] = getStudent();
}

void display( const StudentRecords r[], int n)
{
 for( int j=0; j<n; j++)
 {
  cout << "Name " << r[j].name << endl;
  cout<<"id: "<<r[j].id<<endl;
  cout<<"Scores: ";
  for(int i=0; i<4; i++)
      cout<<r[j].scores[i]<<"  ";
  cout<<endl;
  cout<<"avg: "<<r[j].avg<<endl;
  }
}

---

The problem is that cin>>student.scores[i] leaves the newline in the buffer so the next getline() gets that newline instead of what the user is supposed to enter. You could remove this newline with cin.ignore().

Thank you very much for your help laser.

You were told to correct that void main.
http://cpwiki.sourceforge.net/Void_main

is it still needed in c++?
as you told me, c++ does need main to return. so can we not use void main in c++?

Quote:

---

as you told me, c++ does need main to return. so can we not use void main in c++?

---

The C++ standard defines the global main() function as returning an int. It also states that in the absence of an explicit return, 0 will be returned at the end of main().

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by manav

is it still needed in c++?
as you told me, c++ does need main to return. so can we not use void main in c++?

---

Because it's undefined. The standard says main must return int.
If you don't, it's all compiler dependant, or implementation dependant.
Visual Studio returns 0 while GCC returns garbage.