CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++gcccompiler-errors
rfmas3
rfmas3

Reputation: 103

C++ gcc error on operator= function

function definition

const circularLinkedList<Tp>& operator=(const circularLinkedList<Tp>& otherList);

lines that cause the error, error message refers to line 327, which starts at nodeType....

template <class Tp>
nodeType<Tp>* circularLinkedList<Tp>&::operator=(const circularLinkedList<Tp>& otherList)

And the error messages from the gcc compiler are:

circularLinkedList.h:327: error: invalid declarator before â&â token
circularLinkedList.h:327: error: expected initializer before â&â token

I assume that I have made some sort of syntax error in in defining this method somewhere. How would I have to go about fixing it? Thanks.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 269

Answers (2)

Sion Sheevok
Sion Sheevok

Reputation: 4217

In the first code block, you show the method declaration, not the function definition. In the second code block, you show the header of the method definition.

Method Declaration: Returns const circularLinkedList<Tp>&

Method Definition: Returns nodeType<Tp>*.

You are not defining the method you declared. You are defining some method you have not declared.

The header of the definition should be:

const circularLinkedList<Tp>& circularLinkedList<Tp>::operator=(const circularLinkedList<Tp>& otherList)

Upvotes: 0

Robert Mason
Robert Mason

Reputation: 4039

Can you post a little bit more code for us? Can you explain what nodeType is?

The following looks like a function definition:

template <class Tp>
nodeType<Tp>* circularLinkedList<Tp>&::operator=(const circularLinkedList<Tp>& otherList)

However, for one thing, the declaration says it returns a const circularLinkedList<Tp>&. Also, you don't want to have the & before the ::. It needs to be the type's name, not a pointer or reference to a variable of that type. If you want that behavior you need to use a proxy class.

So it should be something like:

template <class Tp>
const circularLinkedList<Tp>& circularLinkedList<Tp>::operator=(const circularLinkedList<Tp>& other)

Which should almost invariably end with return *this;

Upvotes: 2

Related Questions