problem with extern variables

This is the first time I've used extern variables so I may be doing something wrong. I have a 4 program file with a header file "hotel.h". In hotel.h I have the following:

Code:

---

#define NLINE 41
#define MAXROOM 10
extern int fd;
extern char[NLINE];

---

When I try to compile this (on Linux) I get errors saying there are undefined reference to each place I tried to use either of the extern variables. I tried putting these in the main file before the main function and still got errors. Any ideas?

So do you actually define these variables anywhere?

[edit]http://c-faq.com/decl/decldef.html

Yeah, they are currently defined in hotel.h.

*ahem*

Where?

Sorry, didn't read your post carefully enough. I use the int fd as a file descriptor for the open() system call and buf is used to get data from the read() system call.

No, he means in what file do those variables actually exist?


Quzah.

There are three files that these two extern variables exist in. Each time one of the two is called I get an error saying they are undefined references to them. In the file openfile.c
I use fd to try to open a file (i.e. fd = open("file", O_RDWR); ). It is used in a couple other files for reading from the file opened in openfile.c.

> extern char[NLINE];
But what is it's name?

Like
extern char myString[NLINE];

An extern variable is much like a function prototype, you're just telling the compiler that the variable exists somewhere so when you compile your program the compiler expects to find this extern variable in some other source file. If the compiler can't find it then you've just made references to objects that don't exist. Hence, "undefined reference" errors.

sorry, verbatim the hotel.h file is:

Code:

---

#define NLINE 41
#define MAXROOMS 10

extern int fd;
extern char buf[NLINE];

---

I do use these variables in other files. The errors from the compilation are:
in file createfile.c
undefined reference to fd
in file openfile.c
undefined reference to buf
...

This indicates to me that the variables were found in those files and are. I looked. If this doesn't help I can post the entire program. The files aren't that big.

This is not a definition:

Code:

---

extern int fd;
extern char buf[NLINE];

---

This is:

Code:

---

int fd;
char buf[NLINE];

---

The linker is telling you that it doesn't exist because it doesn't exist. Make it exist exactly once.

You may actually want to follow the link I posted and read what's there.

I got it figured out. Thanks a lot.