Visual Studio 6: Initializing static class member

[winbatch]

The following works on solaris, but doesn't compile on windows visual studio 6. is there a way to do this differently so it compiles in both places?

In ComandLineArg.h
-------------------------
class CommandLineArg
{
private:
..etc..
static int longestDescr;
..etc..
};

In CommandLineArg.cpp
-------------------------------

CommandLineArg::longestDescr=0;

Error on visual studio:
error C2501: 'longestDescr' : missing storage-class or type specifiers

[Dogtree]

You forgot the type:

int CommandLineArg::longestDescr=0;

[winbatch]

I didn't realize I needed to. Why do I need to specify the datatype? (The syntax looks to me as if it is supposed to return an int rather than that it IS an int..)

(Also, why do I not need to on Solaris Workshop compiler?)

[Dogtree]

>> Why do I need to specify the datatype?
It's a definition. Any valid definition is also a valid declaration, and standard C++ disallows implicit int declarations.

>> The syntax looks to me as if it is supposed to return an int rather than that it IS an int..
How does an object return anything? It might evaluate to something, but only after its definition during use.

>> Also, why do I not need to on Solaris Workshop compiler?
It's either pre-standard implicit int, where if a type is needed, int is assumed, or it's a compiler extension. I would guess the former.

[winbatch]

I added the int on it and it worked both on Sun and Visual Studio. Thanks.

(I now have to try and deal with all of MS VStudio's other really complicated STL related warnings and errors - of course all of the rest of the code works fine on SUN as well...)

[winbatch]

Here's another good one for you. This also compiles (and runs fine on Solaris)

Properties.h

template <class K, class V> class Properties : public Printable
{
 ...etc...
 protected:
 
 map<K,V> myMap;
void addMap( map<K,V> mapToAdd);
 
...etc..
};

Properties.hpp

template <class K, class V> void Properties<K,V>::addMap( map<K,V> mapToAdd)
{
 myMap.insert( mapToAdd.begin(), mapToAdd.end() ); 
}

And the wonderfully succint error:
c:\development\danlibs\src\properties.hpp(129) : error C2664: 'class std::_Tree<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class
std::allocator<char> > const ,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,struct std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,class std::basic_string<
char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char
>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::_Kfn,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<
char> > > >::iterator __thiscall std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::less<class std::bas
ic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::insert(class std::_Tree<class std::basic_string<char,struct
std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > const ,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char
> > >,struct std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struc
t std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,
class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::_Kfn,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<cl
ass std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::iterator,const struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > const ,class std::basic_string<char,st
ruct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > &)' : cannot convert parameter 2 from 'class std::_Tree<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,
struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > const ,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,struct std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocat
or<char> >,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_strin
g<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::_Kfn,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char
_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::iterator' to 'const struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > const ,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std:
:allocator<char> > > &'
Reason: cannot convert from 'class std::_Tree<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > co
nst ,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,struct std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_trai
ts<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<cha
r> > > >::_Kfn,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >::iterator' to
'const struct std::pair<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > const ,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >'
No constructor could take the source type, or constructor overload resolution was ambiguous
c:\program files\microsoft visual studio\vc98\include\xmemory(70) : while compiling class-template member function 'void __thiscall Properties<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,class std:
:basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >::addMap(class std::map<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> >,class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>
,class std::allocator<char> >,struct std::less<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > >,class std::allocator<class std::basic_string<char,struct std::char_traits<char>,class std::allocator<char> > > >
)'

[Dave Sinkula]

And the wonderfully succint error:

http://www.bdsoft.com/tools/stlfilt.html

[winbatch]

Dave,

(It looks like I have to install perl for this to work, is that correct?)

[Dave Sinkula]

I was meaning to try to mess with it, but I never got around to it -- but I believe so.

[prog-bman]

Are you trying to define that function outside of the header? That ussually can cause problems.

[winbatch]

Yes, but it's in an .hpp, and all files that require the class include the .hpp file (rather than the .h). in addition, it works perfectly fine on Solaris, only using Visual Studio does it not compile...

[prog-bman]

I just wrote this up real quick does this compile on your VC++. It works for me on Dev-C++(MinGW(GCC)) :)

#ifndef tester_h
#define tester_h

#include <map>

template<class K, class V> class tester
{
    public:
    std::map<K,V> myMap;
    void addMap(std::map<K,V> mapToAdd);
};

#endif

#ifndef tester_hpp
#define tester_hpp
#include <map>
#include "tester.h"

template<class K, class V> void tester<K,V>::addMap(std::map<K,V> mapToAdd)
{
    myMap.insert( mapToAdd.begin(), mapToAdd.end() ); 
}

#endif

[winbatch]

Note that the code I posted before compiles fine in visual studio .net 2003, so it's gotta be something specific with visual studio 6...