need help with this compile error for getline function error: no matching function for call to 'getline(std::istream&, char&)'|

Question

I have a source code file with getline function in it and I receive and error when I compile it (code and error below). My problem is that I copied and pasted the whole function from an already compiled and working program (included below as well). I also have the getline function in 2 other source code files in the program, both of which compile fine. I am fairly new to programming and just started c++ programing (much better at Java) so try to keep answers simple. I looked through some of the already posted questions and answers here (and google) but all the ones I found the answers say that the parameters for the function are not correct. But I know they are correct here because it works in the other program just fine. Also as you can see in the working file the only #included is iostream and it works, that's with g++ complier in Code::Blocks. I made sure to include all the variables/constants needed as well.

Here is the code for the function and file I am getting the error from. The parts I am refering to are marked by 3 * (sorry best I could do). The error is reprinted at the bottom of post as well.

#include <iostream>
#include <istream>
#include "candidates.h"

using namespace std;

int nCandidatesInPrimary;

int delegatesForThisState;

const int maxCandidates = 10;

int delegatesWon[maxCandidates];

int totalVotes;

int totalDelegates = 0;

int votesForCandidate[maxCandidates];

string candidate[maxCandidates];

int nCandidates;

string candidateNames;

void readCandidates ()
{
  cin >> nCandidates;
  string line;
  getline (cin, line);

  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidates; ++i)
    {
      ***getline (cin, candidateNames[i]);***
      delegatesWon[i] = 0;
    }
}

int findCandidate (std::string name)
{
  int result = nCandidates;
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidates && result == nCandidates; ++i)
    if (candidateNames[i] == name)
      result = i;
  return result;
}

void printCandidateReport (int candidateNum)
{
  int requiredToWin = (2 * totalDelegates + 2) / 3; // Note: the +2 rounds up
  if (delegatesWon[candidateNum] >= requiredToWin)
    cout << "* ";
  else
    cout << "  ";
  cout << delegatesWon[candidateNum] << " " << candidateNames[candidateNum] << endl;
}

void assignDelegatesToCandidates ()
{
  int remainingDelegates = delegatesForThisState;
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidatesInPrimary; ++i)
    {
      int candidateNum = findCandidate(candidate[i]);
      int nDel = (delegatesForThisState * votesForCandidate[i] + (totalVotes-1)) / totalVotes;
      if (nDel > remainingDelegates)
    nDel = remainingDelegates;
      delegatesWon[candidateNum] += nDel;
      remainingDelegates -= nDel;
    }
}

here is the code from the already working program.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

// Max # of candidates permitted by this program
const int maxCandidates = 10;

// Names of the candidates participating in this state's primary
string candidate[maxCandidates];

// Names of all candidates participating in the national election
std::string candidateNames[maxCandidates];

// How many delegates are assigned to the state being processed
int delegatesForThisState;

// How many delgates have been won by each candidate
int delegatesWon[maxCandidates];

// How many candidates in the national election?
int nCandidates;

// How many candidates in the primary for the state being processed
int nCandidatesInPrimary;

// How many states participate in the election
int nStates;

// How many delegates in the election (over all states)
int totalDelegates = 0;

// How many votes were cast in the primary for this state
int totalVotes;

// How many votes wone by each candiate in this state's primary
int votesForCandidate[maxCandidates];


int findCandidate (std::string name);

/**
 * For the most recently read primary, determine how many delegates have
 * been won by each candidate.
 */
void assignDelegatesToCandidates ()
{
  int remainingDelegates = delegatesForThisState;
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidatesInPrimary; ++i)
    {
      int candidateNum = findCandidate(candidate[i]);
      int nDel = (delegatesForThisState * votesForCandidate[i] + (totalVotes-1)) / totalVotes;
      if (nDel > remainingDelegates)
    nDel = remainingDelegates;
      delegatesWon[candidateNum] += nDel;
      remainingDelegates -= nDel;
    }
}



/**
 * Find the candidate with the indicated name. Returns the array index
 * for the candidate if found, nCandidates if it cannot be found.
 */
int findCandidate (std::string name)
{
  int result = nCandidates;
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidates && result == nCandidates; ++i)
    if (candidateNames[i] == name)
      result = i;
  return result;
}


/**
 * Print the report line for the indicated candidate
 */
void printCandidateReport (int candidateNum)
{
  int requiredToWin = (2 * totalDelegates + 2) / 3; // Note: the +2 rounds up
  if (delegatesWon[candidateNum] >= requiredToWin)
    cout << "* ";
  else
    cout << "  ";
  cout << delegatesWon[candidateNum] << " " << candidateNames[candidateNum] << endl;
}


/**
 * read the list of candidate names, initializing their delegate counts to 0.
 */
void readCandidates ()
{
  cin >> nCandidates;
  string line;
  getline (cin, line);

  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidates; ++i)
    {
      ***getline (cin, candidateNames[i]);***//already working
      delegatesWon[i] = 0;
    }
}


/**
 * read the info on one state's primaries
 */
void readState ()
{
  totalVotes = 0;
  cin >> nCandidatesInPrimary >> delegatesForThisState;
  totalDelegates += delegatesForThisState;  // "x += y" is a shorthand for "x = x + y"
  string word, line;
  getline (cin, line);
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidatesInPrimary; ++i)
    {
      cin >> votesForCandidate[i];
      totalVotes = totalVotes + votesForCandidate[i];

      cin >> word;
      getline (cin, line);
      candidate[i] = word + line;
    }
}



/**
 * Generate the report on the national primary election.
 */
int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
  readCandidates();
  int nStates;
  cin >> nStates;
  for (int i = 0; i < nStates; ++i)
    {
      readState();
      assignDelegatesToCandidates();
    }
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidates; ++i)
    {
      printCandidateReport(i);
    }
  return 0;
}

error: no matching function for call to 'getline(std::istream&, char&)'|

Answer 1

Sorry I might have been unfair when posting this question. I was able to find the problem, it was in my header file, I messed up the variables there. for candidateNames[] I forgot the [] at the end in the header file. And since I didn't include that file in my post you couldn't see that. Thanks for the help though.

Answer 2

Looks like you forgot to

#include <string>

It's likely that the other headers have pulled in the string class itself, but not all the supporting functions such as getline overloads that accept std::string.

Answer 3

candidateNames is a single string, not a collection of strings. What about setting up a vector of them?

std::vector<string> candidateNames;

And then before your for loop:

candidateNames.resize(nCandidates);

Answer 4

Looks like you intended candidateNames to be declared as a vector<string> candidateNames;

vector<string> candidateNames;

void readCandidates ()
{
  cin >> nCandidates;
  string line;
  getline (cin, line);
  candidateNames.resize(nCandidates);    
  for (int i = 0; i < nCandidates; ++i)
    {
       getline (cin, candidateNames[i]);

    }
}