Re: Total Newbie Backward Compat Question

Hal Vaughan said:

> Richard Heathfield wrote:
 
<snip>
 
>> Yes, you're looking at least ten years into the past.
> 
> When you said that I checked the copyright date on this book.  1995. 
And
> I got it from a friend who said it would be quite helpful.  I'll have to
> talk to him about this when I see him next.

Well, it isn't the book's fault that C++ changed enormously in 1998. 
Nevertheless, the book no longer describes the C++ that your compiler 
would prefer you to write.

<snip>
 
>> you need to change it *TO* this:
>> 
>> #include <iostream>
>> int main(void)
>> {
>>   std::cout << "Hello, world" << std::endl;
>>   return 0;
>> }
> 
> So the std:: is specifying the namespace where the function cout is and
> I'm also adding an eol character as well, right?

Close! std::cout isn't actually a function, but an object. Yes, it's in
the 
std namespace. And yes, std::endl is in there too. In each case, the 
object in question belongs to a class in which the << operator has been 
overloaded (forget it - you *don't* want to know, at least not for another

few weeks).

>> The search tearm

Did I really type that? I must be getting searnile.

>> you are looking for is "namespace". Not exactly obvious, is it?
> 
> No, it isn't.  And from what I saw on your example, that tells me that
my
> source is not just old, but way off and I'll need more info on what is
in
> what namespace.

Everything, really. :-)

> In other words it's not a quick, simple fix, there's a
> new issue I need to understand.

For the time being, the following rules of thumb will get you through:

1) if it's a standard C header, #include <cname> instead of <name.h>
2) if it's a standard C++ header, #include <name> instead of <name.h>
3) if it's a non-standard header, you probably don't want to do that right

now anyway, because it'll only confuse you, believe me
4) whenever the compiler complains about something in the book, change it 
from foo to std::foo

I'm not saying that's going to work every time, but it should get you
along 
to the next garage, so to speak.

-- 
Richard Heathfield <http://www.cpax.org.uk>
Email: -http://www.
+rjh@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 users: <http://www.cpax.org.uk/prg/writings/googly.php>
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999