🚀 go-pugleaf

Philip R. Banks writes:
>    Okay here is a little wee problem I am hoping some C type can answer for
> me. Quickly please, before I take to this compiler with a blunt
> instrument... :)
> 
> The problems is thus I have defined a structure like so :-
> 
> typedef struct {
>    char *name;
>    char *comment;
>    struct filenode *next;
>    struct filenode *prev;
>    struct filenode *parent;
>    struct filenode *sublist;
>    int load;
>    int exec;
>    int length;
>    char flag;
> } filenode;

Hmm.  Well, I can see problems already!  The type name 'filenode' isn't defined
within the structure definition!  It's not defined until the end of the typedef
has been reached.

Try this instead:

    struct _filenode
      {
        char             *name,
                         *comment;
        struct _filenode *next,
                         *prev,
                         *parent,
                         *sublist;
        int              load,
                         exec,
                         length;
        char             flag;
      };

    typedef struct _filenode filenode, *filenodeptr;

This will define the types correctly (I also tend to define a pointer type:
in this case, 'filenodeptr').

> [more code deleted]
> 
> With the last line being the problem one. The compiler gives me the serious
> error number 140 " 'struct filenode' not yet defined - cannot be selected
> from ". Now given that the structure is defined in the *same* file I find
> this a little hard to believe. Also the if statement is in the same scope as
> the declaration of the variable scratch.

See above.

>    So can anyone answer what I am doing wrong that the Norcroft compiler is
> soooo helpfully not telling me? 

Not the Norcroft compiler, I'm afraid.  You would have similar problems with
*any* ANSI C compiler.  You simply *cannot* reference a typedef name until
*after* it is defined: this means that referencing the name *during* the
definition will not work.

>    I knew there was a good reason for sticking to Assembler. <mumble)
> <mumble).

...or learning the language (whatever it may be) that you are using... ;-}

								Ug!