Error in Binary'<<'

[MChapman85]

error C2679: binary '<<' : no operator found which takes a right-hand operand of type 'void' (or there is no acceptable conversion)


Hi, I have been searching all over and just can't get this problem resolved. Everyone says to include the <string> header file but I have. I have tried to compile this in multiple versios of Visual Studio( 97,08,10) I have done all I can think of and asked some friends but nobody knows. The problem I have is in a header file and anytime I try to output anything from a void function I get this error. It is not complete and includes unfinisshed funtions but can't continue intil this is fixed. Here is the header file:


// This header file maintains basic information about the patient. It includes the patient's name and patient's demographic location.

#ifndef Patient_Demographic
#define Patient_Demographic

using namespace std;

// Standard system input/output
#include <iostream>

// Header file for using Strings
#include <string>

//#include <stdlib.h>

class PatientDemographicInformation
{
private:
string patientMedicalRecordNo;
string patientFirstName;
char patientMiddleInitial;
string patientLastName;
string patientStreetAddress1;
string patientStreetAddress2;
string patientCity;
string patientState;
string patientZip5;
string patientZip4;
string patientHomeAreaCode;
string patientHomePhoneNo;
char patientGender;
int patientDateOfBirth;
public:
// The Constructor
PatientDemographicInformation(string medicalNo, string fName, char middleI, string lName, string address1, string address2, string city,
string state, string zip5, string zip4,string areaCode, string phoneNo, char gender, int dateOfBirth);

// Returns the patient's medical record number. If the patientMedicalRecordNo is black send a message to the screen and exit(1).
string getPatientMedicalRecordNo();

// Returns the patient's first name a space middle initial a space then the last neme.
string getPatientName();

// Returns the patient's state in all capital letters.
string getPatientState();

// Returns the patient's street address line 1, then on the next line city, a comma then a space and the state(capital letters),
// then 2 spaces zip5, then a dash, then zip4.
void printPatientAddress();

// Returns the patient's home area code enclosed in parenthesis, then the home phone number with a dash between the exchange and the number
string getPatientPhoneNumber();

// Returns the patient's gender description. "F" or "f" for Female and "M" or "m" for Male
string getPatientGender();

// Returns the patient's date of birth with dashes.
void printPatientDateOfBirth();

// Returns the patient's age.(Based on date of birth)
int getPatientAge();

/* Prints the patient demographic information.
* Medical Record No.: XXXXXXXXX-XX
* Patient's Name: (First Middle and Last Name)
* Address: (Address Line 1)
* (Address Line 2)
* (CIty State and Zip)
* (Phone Number)
Gender: X - Gender Description Date of Birth: XX/XX?XXXX Age: XXX */
void printPatientDemographicInformation();
};
// The Constructor initializes all objects of the patient
PatientDemographicInformation::PatientDemographicInformation(string medicalNo, string fName, char middleI, string lName, string address1, string address2, string city, string state, string zip5, string zip4, string areaCode, string phoneNo, char gender, int dateOfBirth)
{
patientMedicalRecordNo = medicalNo;
patientFirstName = fName;
patientMiddleInitial = middleI;
patientLastName = lName;
patientStreetAddress1 = address1;
patientStreetAddress2 = address2;
patientCity = city;
patientState = state;
patientZip5 = zip5;
patientZip4 = zip4;
patientHomeAreaCode = areaCode;
patientHomePhoneNo = phoneNo;
patientGender = gender;
patientDateOfBirth = dateOfBirth;
}

// Returns the patient's medical record number. If the patientMedicalRecordNo is black send a message to the screen and exit(1).
string PatientDemographicInformation::getPatientMedicalRecordNo()
{
if(patientMedicalRecordNo == "")
{
cerr << "No record of Patient.";
exit(1);
}
return patientMedicalRecordNo;
}

// Returns the patient's first name a space middle initial a space then the last neme.
string PatientDemographicInformation::getPatientName()
{
return patientFirstName + " " + patientMiddleInitial + " " + patientLastName;
}

// Returns the patients's state in all capital letters.
string PatientDemographicInformation::getPatientState()
{
// Function which cycles each position and changes the character to uppercase
for(unsigned int i=0; i < patientState.length(); i++)
{
patientState[i] = toupper(patientState[i]);
}
return patientState;
}

// Returns the persons address in a letter style format
void PatientDemographicInformation::printPatientAddress()
{
cout << patientStreetAddress1 << endl << patientStreetAddress2 << endl << patientCity << ", " << getPatientState() << " " << patientZip5 << "-" << patientZip4 << endl;
}

// Returns the patient's home area code enclosed in parenthesis, then the home phone number with a dash [phone]
string PatientDemographicInformation::getPatientPhoneNumber()
{
//string areaCode;
//string phoneNumber;
//areaCode = "(" << patientHomeAreaCode << ")";
//char num[5];
//int i;
//for(i=0;i<=3;i++)
//{
// num[i]= patientHomePhoneNo.length;
//}

//return phoneNumber;
return patientHomePhoneNo;
}

// Returns the patient's gender description. F for Female
string PatientDemographicInformation::getPatientGender()
{
string gender;
switch(patientGender)
{
case 'f':
case 'F': gender = "Female"; break;
case 'm':
case 'M':gender = "Male"; break;
default:
cerr << " The Gender isn't M/F";
exit(1);
}

return gender;
}

// Returns the patients's date of bitch with dashes.
void PatientDemographicInformation::printPatientDateOfBirth()
{
friend int month;
friend int day;
friend int year;

month = (date / 1000000.00);

day = ((date / 1000000.00)-month) * 100;

year = ((((date / 1000000.00)-month) * 100)-day) * 10000;

cout << month << "/" << day << "/" << year;
}

// Returns the Patient's age.Calculated from the Birth-Date
int PatientDemographicInformation::getPatientAge()
{
return 0;
}

// Prints all the information about the patient in a structured form.
void PatientDemographicInformation::printPatientDemographicInformation()
{
cout << "- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PATIENT INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -" << endl
<< "Medical Record No.: " << getPatientMedicalRecordNo() << endl << " Patient’s Name: "
<< getPatientName() << endl << " Address: " << printPatientAddress() << endl
<< " " << getPatientPhoneNumber() << endl << endl << "Gender:"
<< patientGender << " - " << getPatientGender() << "Date of Birth:" << printPatientDateOfBirth() << "Age:" << getPatientAge() << endl
<< "- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ";
}
#endif // Patient_Demographic

****The program is in another file but only calls the functions to test them first I thought it could be in this but I comment out the calling and it takes me back to the header file. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Zhuge]

You have defined printPatientDateofBirth() as returning void; make it return a string instead, making sure to have it return the data instead of just cout'ing it.

EDIT: Looked at your post a bit more... You can't cout a void function. It just doesn't work. Just call the function normally as it already does a cout inside of itself to display the information. Though I would still recommend doing what I suggested above.