The variable 'idata' is being used without being initialized.

[hastingsdirect]

i am trying to input data into a linked list, the instance of the list is called myList and the data i want to input is idata. ProceedingsBook is the class for the data i want to store.
I have this code to input the data:

proceedingsBook *idata;
string tmpString;
int tmpInt;
if(inputBookType = 1)
{
	cout<<"enter the publisher:"<<endl;
	cin>>tmpString;
	idata->setPublisher(tmpString);
	tmpString = "";

	cout<<"enter the ISBN number (13 char):"<<endl;
	cin>>tmpInt;
	idata->setIsbn(tmpInt);
	tmpInt = NULL;

	cout<<"enter the title:"<<endl;
	cin>>tmpString;
	idata->setTitle(tmpString);
	tmpString = "";

	cout<<"enter the Author:"<<endl;
	cin>>tmpString;
	idata->setAuthor(tmpString);
	tmpString = "";
					
	myList.addToList(idata);
}

However i get a break/continue error on line 8 saying:

Run-Time Check Failure #3 - The variable 'idata' is being used without being initialized

When i have initialized it directly above, i dont understand why this error has come up, any help would be much appreciated, thanks

[aprillate]

copy/paste the class declaration of proceedingsBook
perhaps you missed something in the constructor and you're using it in your main?

[helios]

When i have initialized it directly above

You have? Where?

[kbw]

You haven't initialised idata. You've only declared it. That allocates some space for it somewhere (on the stack in this case), but you've not given it an initial value.

[hastingsdirect]

your right i had only declared it, but what can i initialize it to if i just want it empty, i tried NULL but that throws up "Access violation" errors.

Here is my preceedings book class, it inherits from publication:

class Publication {
private:
	string publisher;
	int isbn;
public:
	string getPublisher();
	int getIsbn();

	void setPublisher(string value);
	void setIsbn(int value);
};
class Book:public Publication{
private:
	string title;
	string author;
public:
	string getTitle();
	string getAuthor();

	void setTitle(string value);
	void setAuthor(string value);
};

class proceedingsBook:public Book{
private:
	
	string editor;
	string date;
public:
	
	string getEditor();
	string getDate();

	void setEditor(string value);
	void setDate(string value);
};

[hastingsdirect]

it just needed a idata = new proceedingsBook;