How do you declare a list to be global.....

I have a class that is used to control the users input. In that class I have a function that looks like this

Code:

---


void Controller::AddArtBandName()
{

        string artName;

                cout << endl << "Enter the bands name: " << flush;
                cin >> artName;
       
        Artist *artist = new Artist(artName);       

        list<Artist> myArtist;

                myArtist.push_back( *(new Artist(artName)) );       
               
                //Informs user what they just added
                cout << "\tAdded : " << artName << endl << endl ;       
       
}

---

This function is called upon when a user asks to enter an Artists name. Now I want to make another function that displays what is inside that list. This is what I have so far...

Code:

---


void Controller::DisplayArtName()
{

        list<Artist> myArtist;
       
                cout << endl << "List of Artist: " << endl;

        list<Artist>::iterator iter;

                for(iter = myArtist.begin(); iter != myArtist.end(); iter++)
                       
                        cout << (*iter).getArtBandName() << endl;
}

---

When I call upon this function it does not display anything in the list. I am guessing that this is because the list is redefined in my DisplayArtName function. So with that said the only solution I can come up with is to declare the list global in my .h file, but I can't figure out how to do it. Any suggestion?

Thanks

Chad

Maybe you should re-look your class hierarchy to see where the list might fit in?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by laserlight

Maybe you should re-look your class hierarchy to see where the list might fit in?

---

I am fairly new to programming (about 6 months). Can you please further explain you comment. I know what you mean when you say hierarchy but I am failing to grasp what you mean when you say it in conjunction with class.

You need to not create the list in any function, you need to make it a member variable of your controller class. Ex.

Code:

---

Class Controller
{
  private:
    list<Artist> myArtist;
  public:
    void AddArtBandName();
    void DisplayArtName()
    ... other declarations
};

void Controller::AddArtBandName()
{

        string artName;

                cout << endl << "Enter the bands name: " << flush;
                cin >> artName;
       
        Artist artist (artName);       

        //list<Artist> myArtist; <--DELETE THIS ... use member variable

                myArtist.push_back( artist );       
               
                //Informs user what they just added
                cout << "\tAdded : " << artName << endl << endl ;       
       
}
void Controller::DisplayArtName()
{

        //list<Artist> myArtist; <- DELETE THIS LINE...use member variable
       
                cout << endl << "List of Artist: " << endl;

        list<Artist>::iterator iter;

                for(iter = myArtist.begin(); iter != myArtist.end(); iter++)
                       
                        cout << (*iter).getArtBandName() << endl;
}

---

One other thing I just notice, you are going to have a big memory leak by derefencing the artist pointers and pushing them as objects onto the list. The list will create copies of those object in the list and you will lose the pointers to the objects that you new'ed and thus won't be able to delete them when your program cleans up.
Since list handles memory management, you could just local copies onto the list that then will be copied, see code

Code:

---

cin >> artName;
       
Artist *artist = new Artist(artName);       

...

myArtist.push_back( *(new Artist(artName)) );

---

You are creating a memory leak here by allocating and assigning memory to the pointer artist which you do not appear to ever use. Also, your second use of new to dynamically allocate an Artist object, followed by the dereference of the pointer in the push_back constitutes a second memory leak in the same function. The use of new here should not be needed at all. I think you'd do better with:

Code:

---

cin >> artName;

// Assume myArtist is declared as member of Controller class, or global,
// or passed in to the function as a parameter.

myArtist.push_back( Artist(artName) );

---

Declaring a list like this

Code:

---


private:

list<Artist> myArtist;

---

leaves me with a syntax error. Also when I remove

Code:

---

list<Artist> myArtist;

---

from my two functions it tells me that myArtist is no longer declared.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hk_mp5kpdw

Code:

---

cin >> artName;
       
Artist *artist = new Artist(artName);       

...

myArtist.push_back( *(new Artist(artName)) );

---

You are creating a memory leak here by allocating and assigning memory to the pointer artist which you do not appear to ever use. Also, your second use of new to dynamically allocate an Artist object, followed by the dereference of the pointer in the push_back constitutes a second memory leak in the same function. The use of new here should not be needed at all. I think you'd do better with:

Code:

---

cin >> artName;

// Assume myArtist is declared as member of Controller class, or global,
// or passed in to the function as a parameter.

myArtist.push_back( Artist(artName) );

---

---

Would it make a diffrence if I said Artist is another class that is being used to get and set data?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chadsxe

Would it make a diffrence if I said Artist is another class that is being used to get and set data?

---

I get that it is another class... and no it wouldn't make a difference.

To fix the syntax error, you should post it here so we know what it was.

You should also probably use std::list instead of list, make sure you've included <list> in the header file, and make sure you've included the file that declares the Artist class.

This is a broken down version of what I have in .cpp file

Code:

---

#include "CdInfo.h"
#include "Controller.h"
#include "Artist.h"
#include "Menu.h"
#include "SubMenu.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <list>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

//*********************MAIN*CONTROL********************

//Takes input from user and processes it
void Controller::CommandControl(int input)
{
        Menu menu;
       
        if (input == 1)
        {
                menu.Info(); //Displays info about program
        }
        else if (input == 2)
        {
                menu.MainMenu(); //Displays menu
        }
        else if (input == 3)
        {
                ArtMenu(); //Displays Art Menu
        }
        else if (input == 4)
        {
                CdInfoMenu();
        }
        else if (input == 5)
        {
                cout << "Goodbye" << endl; //End Program
        }
        else
        {
                cout << input << ":  is not a valid command" << endl;
               
        }
}

//********************ARTIST**********************

//Takes input from user (Artist) and processes it
void Controller::ArtMenu()
{
        int input;
        Menu menu;
        SubMenu submenu;
       
                submenu.Artist();

                        cout << endl << "Enter a number from the Artist Menu: " << flush;
                        cin >> input;

        if (input == 1)
        {
                AddArtBandName();
        }
        else if (input == 2)
        {
                AddSoloName();
        }
        else if (input == 3)
        {
                DisplayArtName();
        }
        else if (input == 4)
        {
                menu.MainMenu();
        }
        else
        {
                cout << input << ": is not a valid command" << endl;
        }
}

//Adds Artist Name
void Controller::AddArtBandName()
{

        string artName;

                cout << endl << "Enter the bands name: " << flush;
                cin >> artName;
       
        Artist *artist = new Artist(artName);       

        list<Artist> myArtist;

                myArtist.push_back( *(new Artist(artName)) );       
               
                //Informs user what they just added
                cout << "\tAdded : " << artName << endl << endl ;       
       
}


//Displays Artist List
//Still trying to get this to function properly
void Controller::DisplayArtName()
{

        list<Artist> myArtist;
       
                cout << endl << "List of Artist: " << endl;

        list<Artist>::iterator iter;

                for(iter = myArtist.begin(); iter != myArtist.end(); iter++)
                       
                        cout << (*iter).getArtBandName() << endl;
}

---

and in my .h file

Code:

---

#ifndef _CONTROLLER_H
#define _CONTROLLER_H
#include <string>
using namespace std;

class Controller
{
        public:
               
                string artName;
                string cdName;

                void CommandControl(int input);
               
       
                // Adds Artist Info
                void AddArtBandName();
                // Displays Artist Menu and processes users input
                void ArtMenu();
                // Diplays Artist Name
                void DisplayArtName();

                Controller();
               
};
#endif _CONTROLLER_H

---

when i declare my list in my header

Code:

---

public:
 list<Artist> myArtist;

---

I get

error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '<'

>> You should also probably use std::list instead of list, make sure you've included <list> in the header file, and make sure you've included the file that declares the Artist class.

In the code you posted you didn't do any of what I said above - you didn't include <list> in your header file, you didn't use std::list instead of list, and you didn't include "Artist.h" in the header file. Do those things and the error should go away. (Note that since you have "using namespace std;" in your header file, you don't need to use std::list). Also don't forget to remove the list<Artist> MyArtist declarations in the functions, once you fix the header file problems the errors you got when you did that will go away.

Thanks Daved it works now. I was getting confused when you were telling me to inlcude Artist in my header file, but I figured it out. Like I said I am still a noob