C2142: syntax error: missing ';' before '*'

[SPlatten]

I'm using MSVC2015 with Qt 5.9.2, I've added a new classes to my project, still very much a work in progress but I'm getting some strange error message which I just can't track down the cause.

Abstract class prototype of MsgDecoder

#ifndef MSGDECODER_H
#define MSGDECODER_H

#include <QJsonObject>
#include <QObject>
#include <QMap>
#include <QString>

class MsgDecoder;
typedef QMap<QString, MsgDecoder*> tMsgTypesMap;

typedef enum {
    D_NOT_FOUND = 0,
    D_TRAINEE,
    D_TRAINER
} eDestination;

class MsgDecoder : public QObject
{
   Q_OBJECT

private:
   const QString mcstrMsgType;
   eDestination meDest;
   static tMsgTypesMap msmpMsgTypes;

public:
   MsgDecoder(const QString& crstrMsgType, const eDestination ceDest);

   virtual bool blnDecode(const QJsonObject& crobjMsg) = 0;
   QString cstrMsgType() const { return mcstrMsgType; }
   static bool blnDecodeMsgByType(const QString& crstrMsgType,
                                 const QJsonObject& crobjMsg);
   eDestination eDest() { return meDest; }
   static eDestination getDestFromMsg(const QJsonObject& crobjMsg);
   static eDestination getDestFromMsg(const QString& crstrMsg);
   static eDestination getDestFromMsgType(const char* cpszMsgType);

signals:
   void error(const QString& crstrErrorMsg);
};
#endif // MSGDECODER_H

This class is derived from the above:

#ifndef HEARTBEAT_H
#define HEARTBEAT_H

#include <QMetaObject>
#include <QTimer>

#include "msgdecoder.h"
#include "sckcomms.h"

class HeartbeatMsg : public MsgDecoder
{
    Q_OBJECT

private:
    static QMetaObject::Connection mscnnTimeout;
    static const quint16 mscuint16Heartbeat;
    static const quint16 mscuint16Timeout;
    static qint16 msint16HeartbeatCtr;
    static QTimer* msptmrTimeout;

public:
    HeartbeatMsg();
    ~HeartbeatMsg();

    virtual bool blnDecode(const QJsonObject &crobjMsg);
    static void nonServerChecks(const QString& crstrMsgType);
    static void service(bool* pblnMsgSent = nullptr);
    static void setupHeartbeat();

signals:
    void heartbeatTimeout();
};

#endif // HEARTBEAT_H

In another class I try to define an instance of the HeartbeatMsg:

QMetaObject::Connection mcnnStatusAbort;
HeartbeatMsg* mpHeartbeat;

The file where this definition exists includes the header that has the HeartbeatMsg prototype, but when I try to compile the project I get the error message:

C2142: syntax error: missing ';' before '*'

I can see nothing wrong with the line or the lines above it, if I click the error it takes me directly to the line:

HeartbeatMsg* mpHeartbeat;

Hovering over the line results in:

C2143: syntax error: missing ';' before '*'
C4430: missing type specifier - int assumed.  Note C++ does not support default-int
C2238: unexpected token(s) preceding ';'

I've looked at the source and I cannot see what is causing this.

[SPlatten]

@JonB , I think I've found it and like most issues, it was actually nothing to do with the display error messages. In a completely unrelated bit of the source there was a missing ')' at the end of a line.

[JonB]

@SPlatten
At least give us a couple of lines of context immediately above the faulting
HeartbeatMsg* mpHeartbeat;
line!

Also try
HeartbeatMsg temp;
and report what the error reads? Is that the same message as
Rubbish temp;
?

[SPlatten]

@JonB , I just modified the same header adding:

HeartbeatMsg mHeartbeat;

The errors:

C3646: 'mHeartbeat': unknown override specifier
C4430: missing type specifier - int assumed. Note C++ does not support default-int

[SPlatten]

@JonB , I think I've found it and like most issues, it was actually nothing to do with the display error messages. In a completely unrelated bit of the source there was a missing ')' at the end of a line.