compiler error on inclusion of string library

mzimmers

Hi all -

When I use a "#include <string>" in a header file, I get the following compiler errors:

In file included from c:\msys32\opt\xtensa-esp32-elf\xtensa-esp32-elf\include\c++\5.2.0\bits\stringfwd.h:40:0,
                 from c:\msys32\opt\xtensa-esp32-elf\xtensa-esp32-elf\include\c++\5.2.0\string:39,
                 from C:/esp32_projects/wifibutton/main/message.h:5,
                 from C:/esp32_projects/wifibutton/main/wifi_esp32.h:8,
                 from C:/esp32_projects/wifibutton/main/main.cpp:17:
c:\msys32\opt\xtensa-esp32-elf\xtensa-esp32-elf\include\c++\5.2.0\bits\memoryfwd.h:63:3: error: template with C linkage
   template<typename>
   ^
c:\msys32\opt\xtensa-esp32-elf\xtensa-esp32-elf\include\c++\5.2.0\bits\memoryfwd.h:66:3: error: template specialization with C linkage
   template<>
   ^

The more I experiment with this, it seems the more confused I get. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks...

EDIT: fixed by eliminating unnecessary use of extern "C" declarations. Appropriate for main function, but not class definitions.

SGaist

Hi,

When mixing C and C++, you usually need to wrap them like:

#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif

/// Your stuff

#ifdef __cplusplus
}  //extern "C"
#endif

mzimmers

Yes, and therein lies the dilemma - the extern "C" turns off the function decoration that template function names require. I'd gone through and used extern "C" on all my classes, and that got me into trouble. Took me a while to discover the problem. The solution is a combination of parsimonious usage of the extern "C" along with thorough planning for use of the STL within the application.

Unfortunately, I had done neither.

JKSH

@mzimmers said in compiler error on inclusion of string library:

Yes, and therein lies the dilemma - the extern "C" turns off the function decoration that template function names require. I'd gone through and used extern "C" on all my classes, and that got me into trouble.

That's because C does not support templates (or classes!). The API wrapped in extern "C" must be C-compatible.

There is a way (I'd call it a hack) to add member functions to extern "C" structs though: https://stackoverflow.com/a/1950150/1144539