error C2447: '{' : missing function header (old-style formal list?)

[hastefan20011984]

OK here's the problem I am trying to write a program that is trying to find the average of a set of numbers and i keep getting the following error:

error C2447: '{' : missing function header (old-style formal list?)

what should i do to solve that problem in the following code:


#include <iostream>
#include <fstream> // I/O
#include <iomanip> // For setw()
using namespace std;

ofstream outputfile("output.txt");
const int MAX_FILE_NAME = 35; // Maximum space allocated for file name

void open_input(ifstream& input, char name[]); // Get file name & Open file
void find_max_min(ifstream& input, int& max, int& min); // Find max & min values
double find_average(ifstream& input); // Finds average
void output(const char name[], int max, int min, ostream& os = cout); // Print results

int main()
// Parameters: None
// Returns: Zero
// Calls: open_input(), find_max_min(), output()
{ char again; // Does user want to go through loop again?
char file_name[MAX_FILE_NAME + 1]; // Name of file to be processed
ifstream input_numbers; // For working with input file

int max, min; // Maximum and minimum numbers from file

double average;

cout << "This program can find the largest and smallest numbers in a file\n"
<< "of integers.\n" << endl;
system("pause"); // Hold message on screen until key is pressed

do
{
system("cls"); // Clear screen
open_input(input_numbers, file_name); // Get file name & open file
// find_max_min(input_numbers, max, min); // Find max & min values in file
average = find_average(input_numbers);

input_numbers.close(); // Close file
output(file_name, max, min); // Print results on screen
output(file_name, max, min, outputfile); // Print results on outputfile

cout << "\nDo you want to process another file (Y/N)? ";
cin >> again;
cin.ignore(256, '\n'); // Remove Enter key from keyboard buffer

} while ( again == 'y' || again == 'Y');

cout << "\nEnd of Program!" << endl;
outputfile << "\n\nThanks for using MaxMin!\f";
outputfile.close();

return 0;
} // End of main()

void open_input(ifstream& input, char name[]) //Open file, exit on error
// Parameters: Variables for input file reference and input file name
// Returns: None
// Calls: None
{ int count = 0; // Count number of tries

do // Continue until we get a valid file name and can open file
{
count++;

if (count != 1) // Issue error message if we are trying again.
{ cout << "\n\aInvalid file name or file does not exist. Please try again."
<< endl;
}

cout << "\nEnter the input file name (maximum of " << MAX_FILE_NAME
<< " characters please)\n:> ";
cin.get(name, MAX_FILE_NAME + 1);// Gets at most MAX_FILE_NAME characters
cin.ignore(256, '\n'); // Remove Enter key from keyboard buffer

input.clear(); // Clear all error flags, if any, from prev try
input.open(name, ios_base::in); // Open only if file exists

} while (input.fail() ); // If can't open file, try again
} // End of open_input()

void find_max_min(ifstream& input, int& max, int& min) // Find max & min values
// Parameters: Variables for file reference and max and min values
// Returns: None
// Calls: None
{
int value; // Value from file

input >> value; // Read first number
max = min = value; // Initialize max & min to first number
while (input >> value) // Continue as long as we can read a number from file.
{
if (value > max) max = value;
if (value < min) min = value;
}
} // End of find_max_min()

double find_average(ifstream& input);
// Parameters: Variables for file reference and max and min values
// Returns: None
// Calls: None
{
double value; // Value from file
double sum = 0;
int count= 0;

// Initialize max & min to first number
while (input >> value) // Continue as long as we can read a number from file.
{
sum += value;
count++;
}

return sum/count;
}

void output(const char name[], int max, int min, ostream& os) // Print results
// Parameters: File name, max & min values from file, output stream
// Returns: None
// Calls: None
{ os << "\n\nInput File Name : " << name << endl;
os << "Largest Number in File : " << setw(8) << max << endl;
os << "Smallest Number in File: " << setw(8) << min << endl;
} // End of output()

regard all solutions to the problem to [e-mail]

[helios]

double find_average(ifstream& input); //<- accidental semicolon here
// Parameters: Variables for file reference and max and min values
// Returns: None
// Calls: None
{

I can't believe I actually found that.

[hastefan20011984]

thanks for helping me pinpoint out what was wrong with it and if you can fix it without any warnings let me know what i need to fix

[hastefan20011984]

ok after i fixed the error and compiled the program i got 2 warnings so i ignored the warnings and ran the program and when i ran the program i got a run-time error saying the following:

Run-Time Check Failure #3 - The variable 'min' is being used without being defined.
Run-Time Check Failure #3 - The variable 'max' is being used without being defined.

Can anyone tell me how this can be fixed.

[helios]

I can't find anything wrong.

[guestgulkan]

I think the actual errors say:

Run-Time Check Failure #3 - The variable 'min' is being used without being initialised.
Run-Time Check Failure #3 - The variable 'max' is being used without being initialised.

[Disch]

it helps if you use code tags:

int main()
// Parameters: None
// Returns: Zero
// Calls: open_input(), find_max_min(), output()
{ char again; // Does user want to go through loop again?
char file_name[MAX_FILE_NAME + 1]; // Name of file to be processed
ifstream input_numbers; // For working with input file

int max, min; // Maximum and minimum numbers from file

double average;

cout << "This program can find the largest and smallest numbers in a file\n"
<< "of integers.\n" << endl;
system("pause"); // Hold message on screen until key is pressed

do
{
system("cls"); // Clear screen
open_input(input_numbers, file_name); // Get file name & open file
// find_max_min(input_numbers, max, min); // Find max & min values in file
average = find_average(input_numbers);

input_numbers.close(); // Close file
output(file_name, max, min); // Print results on screen 

You'll notice you declare variables min and max on line 9, but you never set them to anything. When you attempt to print them on line 25, since they're not assigned any initial value, you will print garbage (this would have more serious consequences if you were doing something other than printing -- which is why the compiler issues this kind of warning)

[helios]

Oh, son of a bitch!
I totally missed the fact that line 21 is commented.
I finally have a good excuse to ban the space after the comment token.

[hastefan20011984]

well i have looked the problem over and over and cant still seem to find what needs to be initialized in the program cause i have tried setting the max and min both to zero and when i run the program i am getting a return value of zero as my answer so i dont know if i am doing the math wrong or what but i would like to know what i should do to initialize the max and min in this program

[guestgulkan]

Here is the basic steps of your program:

1. Open File open_input(input_numbers, file_name); // Get file name & open file

2. Find average average = find_average(input_numbers);

3. Close Input file input_numbers.close(); // Close file

4. send MIN and MAX output to screen output(file_name, max, min); // Print results on screen

5. Send MIN and Max output to fileoutput(file_name, max, min, outputfile); // Print results on outputfile

There is a step missing isn't there between steps 3 and 4