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Need help with expression error.

Pages: 12
Mousy (9)
Im getting an error at line 67 "cout << party_name[x] << "\n";" expression must be a pointer to a complete object type. Any help would be great as I am quite new to C++ and am not sure what exactly is wrong with the code. I have googled a fair bit but nothing has really made sense as to why I am not able to get the string array passed back correctly.

I am a student with the assignment to create a text based game and for part of the criteria we need to randomise the amount of party members that are with you and give the ability to assign them names. I have managed to get the amount of party members done and the variable is being passed back to the game section perfectly fine where I am struggling is passing back the string array party_names into the game function.

I should stress these all come from the main which goes straight into the game function the formatting is just for the programs sake.
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  #include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

void game();

int party_rnd(int &party_members)
{
	char roll_party;

	cout << "Please [R]oll the dice to decide how many will dare enter with you.\n";

	cin >> roll_party;

	if (roll_party == 'R') {
		srand(time(NULL));
		party_members = rand() % 6 + 1;
		cout << "You have been joined by " << party_members << " of your friends!\n\n";
	}
	else {
		cout << "\nYou can't not roll!\n";
		system("Pause");
		system("cls");
		game();
	}

	return 0;
}

string party_name(int &party_members, string (&party_names))
{
	string* party_name = new string[party_members];
	for (int i = 0; i < party_members; i++) {
		cout << "Please enter a name for your party member: ";
		cin >> party_name[i];
		cout << endl;
	}

	cout << "Your party consists of: ";
	cout << endl;

	for (int x = 0; x < party_members; x++) {
		cout << party_name[x] << "\n";
	}

	return *party_name;
}

void game()
{
	system("cls");

	int party_members = 0;
	string* party_names = new string[party_members];

	cout << "Welcome to Professor Scott and the Temple of Doom!\n";
	cout << "Before you can enter you must roll a dice to see how many of your friends will follow you!\n\n";

	party_rnd(party_members);
	
	party_name(party_members, party_names[party_members]);

	for (int y = 0; y < party_members; y++) {
		cout << party_name[y] << "\n";
	}

	return;
}
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
line 56: party_members = 0
line 57: therefore party_name array has zero elements ...

If you are trying to setup an array with a random number of elements I think you should ensure that there is at least one.
Last edited on
Mousy (9)
Thank you for the reply, I have changed that line to: int party_members; instead of having a = value. However the error is there still even with this change.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
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int party_members = 0;
    party_rnd(party_members); // *** <---
    string* party_names = new string[party_members];
    
    cout << "Welcome to Professor Scott and the Temple of Doom!\n";
    cout << "Before you can enter you must roll a dice to see how many of your friends will follow you!\n\n";


Maybe this is what you meant so you get a random number of players. In other words reposition the arrowed line.
Last edited on
Mousy (9)
The issue isn't with the random party members it is with getting the array of the party members back into the game function with their names.
expression must be a pointer to a complete object type
is the error I am getting at line 67 in the code from the first post.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
Please yourself. I can run your code without error by making the change I suggest.

At the moment you are trying to access an array with no elements after having created one. However, please yourself and good luck in your ventures. :)
Mousy (9)
I did the changes you suggested and was still getting the error on line 67 which is why I didn't see it as fixed. This is the current code I have for void game() where I am still getting that error.

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void game()
{
	system("cls");

	int party_members;
	party_rnd(party_members);
	string* party_names = new string[party_members];

	cout << "Welcome to Professor Scott and the Temple of Doom!\n";
	cout << "Before you can enter you must roll a dice to see how many of your friends will follow you!\n\n";

	party_name(party_members, party_names[party_members]);

	for (int y = 0; y < party_members; y++) {
		cout << party_name[y] << "\n";
	}

	return;
}
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
OK. Where is main() in your program?

I suggest also you print out the value of party_members.
Last edited on
Mousy (9)
The main() I didn't include in the quote because I didn't want to paste a huge wall of code but have put all the code I have below. I altered the code to put the party_members value along with each name as it gets printed out. 

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#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

void game();

int party_rnd(int &party_members)
{
	char roll_party;

	cout << "Welcome to Professor Scott and the Temple of Doom!\n";
	cout << "Before you can enter you must roll a dice to see how many of your friends will follow you!\n\n";

	cout << "Please [R]oll the dice to decide how many will dare enter with you.\n";

	cin >> roll_party;

	if (roll_party == 'R') {
		srand(time(NULL));
		party_members = rand() % 6 + 1;
		cout << "You have been joined by " << party_members << " of your friends!\n\n";
	}
	else {
		cout << "\nYou can't not roll!\n";
		system("Pause");
		system("cls");
		game();
	}

	return 0;
}

string party_name(int &party_members, string (&party_names))
{
	string* party_name = new string[party_members];
	for (int i = 0; i < party_members; i++) {
		cout << "Please enter a name for your party member: ";
		cin >> party_name[i];
		cout << endl;
	}

	cout << "Your party consists of: ";
	cout << endl;

	for (int x = 0; x < party_members; x++) {
		cout << party_name[x] << " " << party_members << "\n";
	}

	return party_name[party_members];
}

void game()
{
	system("cls");

	int party_members;
	party_rnd(party_members);
	string* party_names = new string[party_members];

	party_name(party_members, party_names[party_members]);

	for (int y = 0; y < party_members; y++) {
		cout << party_name[y] << "\n";
	}
	
	return;
}

int main()
{
	char menu_choice;
	cout << "Main Menu:\n";
	cout << "[S]tart Game\n";
	cout << "[E]xit Game\n\n";

	cout << "Please choose an option: ";
	cin >> menu_choice;

	if (menu_choice == 'S') {
		cout << "\nWelcome to The Temple of Doom!";
		game();
	}
	else if (menu_choice == 'E') {
		cout << "\nMaybe you'll enter next time.";
	} else {
		cout << "\nPlease enter a valid option\n";
		system("Pause");
		system("cls");
		main();
	}
	return 0;
}
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
That's better. :)
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
line 66 party_names[y] ??
Mousy (9)
Well that fixed the error. Can't believe I missed the 's' off. I changed that it built without any errors however when run after entering the last name it crashes.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
It doesn't help you much but it doesn't crash on my machine. Maybe you need to 'clean and rebuild'.
Mousy (9)
Just did a clean and rebuild and am getting the following:

Debug Error! abort() has been called.

This is after entering the last part member's name.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
This is often an out of bounds error.

Also, because you are using new without a corresponding delete[] there might be a problem when you run the program without exiting - just a guess on my part.
Mousy (9)
So if that is the case what would be the the solution? I am assuming that delete would delete the array and if so I would need to do that at the very end of the program which is still a ways off.
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
What names did you type in?
Mousy (9)
I got 3 so I typed in:

Bill
Ted
Marty
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
Try commenting out you pause's and cls's
closed account (48T7M4Gy)
This is the output I get:
Main Menu:
[S]tart Game
[E]xit Game

Please choose an option: S

Welcome to The Temple of Doom!Welcome to Professor Scott and the Temple of Doom!
Before you can enter you must roll a dice to see how many of your friends will follow you!

Please [R]oll the dice to decide how many will dare enter with you.
R
You have been joined by 2 of your friends!

Please enter a name for your party member: Mark

Please enter a name for your party member: Mary

Your party consists of: 
Mark 2
Mary 2


Program ended with exit code: 0
Pages: 12