C++ creating a variable from a function type

Question

I am trying to link my student_info structure with my read_name function but I am having issues getting it to work properly and it won't compile. The errors I am getting now are error: ‘first_name’ was not declared in this scope and error: ‘last_name’ was not declared in this scope. I declared them in the structure however.

Here's my code:

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

//Place your structure here for Step #1:

struct student_info 
{
  char first_name[15];
  char last_name[15];
  char crn[15];
  char course_designator[15];
  int section;
};


//Place any prototypes that use the structure here:

void read_name(student_info & first_name[], student_info & last_name[])
{
  cout << "enter first name" << endl;
  cin.getline(first_name, 15, '\n'); 
  cout << "enter last name" << endl;
  cin.getline(last_name, 15, '\n');
  first[0] = toupper(first_name[0]);
  last[0] = toupper(last_name[0]); 
  cout << "your name is " << first_name << " " <<  last_name << endl;
}

int main()    
{
  //For Step #2, create a variable of the struct here:

  student_info student;

  read_name(first_name, last_name);

  return 0;
}

error: declaration of ‘first_name’ as array of references 25:43: error: expected ‘)’ before ‘,’ token 25:58: error: expected initializer before ‘&’ token — user3226213, May 14 '14 at 03:19
`read_name` expects to receive 2 arguments, you're calling it with no arguments. — Barmar, May 14 '14 at 03:19
@user3226213 Please put them in the question, so we can see where each error begins. — Barmar, May 14 '14 at 03:20
It's an error because you can't have arrays of references. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1164266/why-arrays-of-references-are-illegal — aditsinha, May 14 '14 at 03:23

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 14 '14 at 03:25

Things you can do to fix your problem.

Change read_name to take a reference to a student_info.
```
void read_name(student_info & student)
```

Change the implementation of read_name to read the data into the first_name and last_name members of info.

void read_name(student_info & student)
{
    cout << "enter first name" << endl;
    cin.getline(student.first_name, 15, '\n'); 
    cout << "enter last name" << endl;
    cin.getline(student.last_name, 15, '\n');
    first[0] = toupper(student.first_name[0]);
    last[0] = toupper(student.last_name[0]); 
    cout << "your name is " << student.first_name << " "
         <<  student.last_name << endl;
}

From main, call read_name using student as argument.

int main()    
{
    //For Step #2, create a variable of the struct here:

    student_info student;

    read_name(student);

    return 0;
}

C++ creating a variable from a function type

1 Answers1