error: Type expected class-name before ‘{’ token

[Steven Tuckness]

I have googled this to quite a bit...and I'm just not understanding the problem. I have header guards...I tried forward declarations...(which I don't fully understand yet, but that doesn't FEEL like the anwser..maybe I'm wrong. I've put a great deal of hours into this...any assistance or suggestion greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Here is my Sound.h.

I continue to get the error "Type expected class-name before ‘{’ token" right where I'm trying to use Element as a base class...

#ifndef SOUND_H_
#define SOUND_H_

#include <fruitpunch/Elements/Element.h>
#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
#include <vector>
#include "string"

namespace fpunch {

class Sound : public Element {
public:
	Sound();
	Sound(std::string);
	void play();
	void stop();
	virtual void renderFrame();

private:
	boost::shared_ptr<std::vector<char> > 	mData;
	int 									mFreq;
	int 									mChannels;
	int										mInstanceId;
	bool 									mIsPlaying;
	bool									mIsLoop;
}; // end class Sound

} // end namespace fpunch
#endif /*SOUND_H_ */ 

here is Element.h

#ifndef ELEMENT_H_
#define ELEMENT_H_

#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
#include <fruitpunch/Elements/Scene.h>

namespace fpunch {

class Element {
public:
  Element();
  virtual void renderFrame() =0;
  boost::shared_ptr<Scene> getScene() const;
  void setScene(boost::shared_ptr<Scene> scene);

  virtual void onAdd() =0;
  virtual void onRemove() =0;
private:
  boost::shared_ptr<Scene> mScene;
};

} /* namespace fpunch */
#endif /* ELEMENT_H_ */ 

[kbw]

It can't see the definition of Element.

Just some observations.
1. You own project files should not be included with <>
2. Element is an abstract base class, but doesn't have a virtual destructor.

[Steven Tuckness]

#ifndef SOUND_H_
#define SOUND_H_

#include "fruitpunch/Elements/Element.h"
#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>
#include <vector>
#include "string"

namespace fpunch {

class Sound : public Element {
public:
	Sound();
	Sound(std::string);
	void play();
	void stop();
	virtual void renderFrame();
	virtual ~Sound();

private:
	boost::shared_ptr<std::vector<char> > 	mData;
	int 									mFreq;
	int 									mChannels;
	int										mInstanceId;
	bool 									mIsPlaying;
	bool									mIsLoop;
}; // end class Sound

} // end namespace fpunch
#endif /*SOUND_H_ */ 

I'm wondering why it can't see see the definition of Element... This other class can see Element just fine...I will make a note that my project files should not be in <> thank you.

The playable class works well extending from Element...which is why I keep thinking I've done something wrong in the Sound class somewhere...Of course I could be mistaken...

#ifndef PLAYABLE_H_
#define PLAYABLE_H_

#include <fruitpunch/Elements/Element.h>

namespace fpunch {

class Playable : public Element {
public:
  Playable();
  void start();
  void stop();
  virtual void renderFrame();
  virtual void renderSingle(int frame) =0;
  virtual int calculateDuration() const =0;
  virtual ~Playable();
  int getCurrentFrame() const;
  void setCurrentFrame(int currentFrame);
  bool isPlaying() const;
  void setPlaying(bool isPlaying);
  bool isLoop() const;
  void setLoop(bool loop);
  int getStartFrame() const;
  void setStartFrame(int startFrame);
  int getEndFrame() const;

  virtual void onAdd();
  virtual void onRemove();


private:
  int mCurrentFrame;
  int mStartFrame;
  bool mLoop;
  bool mIsPlaying;
};

} /* namespace fpunch */
#endif /* PLAYABLE_H_ */ 

/*
 * Playable.cpp
 *
 *  Created on: May 10, 2012
 *      Author: leo
 */

#include <fruitpunch/Elements/Playable.h>

namespace fpunch {

Playable::Playable() {
  mCurrentFrame = 0;
  mStartFrame = 0;
}

Playable::~Playable() {
  // TODO Auto-generated destructor stub
}

void Playable::start() {
  mIsPlaying = true;
}

void Playable::stop() {
  mIsPlaying = false;
}

void Playable::renderFrame() {
  if (!mIsPlaying) return;
  renderSingle(mCurrentFrame);
  mCurrentFrame++;

  // If we reached the end of the animation, go back to frame zero.
  // Only stop playing if looping is not enabled
  if (mCurrentFrame > calculateDuration()) {
    mCurrentFrame = 0;
    if (!mLoop) stop();
  }
}

int Playable::getCurrentFrame() const {
  return mCurrentFrame;
}

void Playable::setCurrentFrame(int currentFrame) {
  mCurrentFrame = currentFrame;
}

bool Playable::isPlaying() const {
  return mIsPlaying;
}

void Playable::setPlaying(bool isPlaying) {
  mIsPlaying = isPlaying;
}

bool Playable::isLoop() const {
  return mLoop;
}

void Playable::setLoop(bool loop) {
  mLoop = loop;
}

int Playable::getStartFrame() const {
  return mStartFrame;
}

void Playable::setStartFrame(int startFrame) {
  mStartFrame = startFrame;
}

int Playable::getEndFrame() const {
  return mStartFrame + calculateDuration() - 1;
}

void Playable::onAdd() {
}

void Playable::onRemove() {
}


}/* namespace fpunch */

[kbw]

You could run the pre-processor and check the output. This way you can confirm what the compiler sees.

[Steven Tuckness]

kbw...Is this easy to do with cmake?

Anyway the problem ended up being that I messed a few of the other like 8 classes that I added. A tricky circular include was one problem. The problems in the other classes caused an issue with this class to not compile correctly.