Basic scope issue

I'm trying to access a variable in a class from another class:

Code:

---

class hero (
  public:
    int xpos;
    void Move();
);

class monster (
  public:
    int xpos;
);

void hero::Move() {
    if (xpos = Goblin.xpos) {/*collision code*/}
};

hero MyHero;
monster Goblin;

---

Even though xpos is defined as public the compiler says it's not defined in this scope. I'm not sure what the best way to go about this would be.

First, double == in your if().

Second, you might need the declaration of Goblin to come before your use.

Finally, you might want to consider your class layout. Does xpos need to be public? Are goblins and heros not just two instances of the same ilk - perhaps have one class called "creature", and if goblins / heros need something special, make a descendant class monster/hero, but keep common characteristics in the base class creature (like position, health, etc.)

Oh, I already had ==, I just got sloppy copying the code :P

Hmm, maybe I should pass Goblin to the function instead, that would make the most sense I think.

So if I make goblin and hero derived classes of a master creature class (with xpos inherited from creature) will I be able to access xpos from a function defined in hero?

I probably don't need xpos to be public in that case, since it will probably only be accessed by Move(). Should I make it Private or Protected?

Quote:

---

Hmm, maybe I should pass Goblin to the function instead, that would make the most sense I think.

---

To decide on how the Move() function should work, and thus what arguments it should take, if any, you need to be clear as to what it does.

Quote:

---

So if I make goblin and hero derived classes of a master creature class (with xpos inherited from creature) will I be able to access xpos from a function defined in hero?

---

Yes, if xpos is protected. If xpos is private, then you should provide a protected function to access it.

Quote:

---

I probably don't need xpos to be public in that case, since it will probably only be accessed by Move(). Should I make it Private or Protected?

---

You may want to read I've been told to never use protected data, and instead to always use private data with protected access functions. Is that a good rule?

Incidentally, it is more common to use capitalised names for classes, but you seem to have inconsistently used this naming convention for variables (xpos is not Xpos, but you have MyHero and Goblin). If you do not have a naming convention, you might want to adopt one in which class names are capitalised and variable names are not.

Yeah, my convention is basically just personal aesthetics at the moment, I should probably make it more consistent.

Heh, thanks for the link, I know exactly the sort of people it was talking about.

The Move function is actually the collision detection/reaction code now, I should really rename it. So I think it makes sense to pass it a monster, so that it tests for collisions between the hero and the monster it gets passed.