[SOLVED] g++ error message no matching function for call to some function

Hi all,

I got a confusing error message when compiling the C++ code:

]$ g++ -c testcls.cc -o testcls.o
testcls.cc: In member function `int testcls::open(const char*)':
testcls.cc:14: error: no matching function for call to `testcls::open(const char*&, int)'
testcls.cc:13: note: candidates are: int testcls::open(const char*)

and the (simplified) code is:

$ cat testcls.cc
class testcls
{
public:
	int open( const char *fn );
};

#include <unistd.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <sys/types.h>

int testcls::open( const char *fn )
{
	return open( fn, O_RDONLY );
}

If the member function is renamed to something else, the compiler won't complaint anymore. Why? and how to work around without modifying the function name? Please.

$ g++ --version
g++ (GCC) 3.4.6 20060404 (Red Hat 3.4.6-4)
Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

Originally Posted by Jerry Mcguire Hi all, I got a confusing error message when compiling the C++ code: ]$ g++ -c testcls.cc -o testcls.o testcls.cc: In member function `int testcls::open(const char*)': testcls.cc:14: error: no matching function for call to `testcls::open(const char*&, int)' testcls.cc:13: note: candidates are: int testcls::open(const char*) and the (simplified) code is: $ cat testcls.cc class testcls { public: int open( const char *fn ); }; #include <unistd.h> #include <fcntl.h> #include <sys/stat.h> #include <sys/types.h> int testcls::open( const char *fn ) { return open( fn, O_RDONLY ); } If the member function is renamed to something else, the compiler won't complaint anymore. Why? and how to work around without modifying the function name? Please. $ g++ --version g++ (GCC) 3.4.6 20060404 (Red Hat 3.4.6-4) Copyright (C) 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/i.../fstream/open/

Sergei

Any special reasons you pointed out open() function of fstream ?

Why you didn't point this normal open() function

And I still could'nt understand why compiler couldn't distinguish between the open function of that class and the normal UNIX open function ?

nice link, but not very related in my case I guess.

The function prototypes are different in my example. Can't figure out why the compiler doesn't distinguish the two.

int testcls::open ( const char * );     // class testcls
int open ( __const char *, int , ... ); // fcntl.h

Originally Posted by Jerry Mcguire nice link, but not very related in my case I guess. The function prototypes are different in my example. Can't figure out why the compiler doesn't distinguish the two. int testcls::open ( const char * ); // class testcls int open ( __const char *, int , ... ); // fcntl.h

In C++ (unlike in "C") function names imply namespace prefix. No prefix, AFAIK, means current class prefix, that's why you get an error. You don't have in your class an 'open' function with the require signature.

If you used 'open' function from the link I provided you with with its namespace prefix, you wouldn't have had the error.

IIUC, the fact that you used the .h version of the include for C library functions in C++ means it is in global namespace, so it is ::open

The source of the original confusion is that declaring a name in a class cannot overload the same name in global namespace. It masks that name in global namespace.

So you need to use ::open within the class to refer to the global open(). The difference in calling parameters does not prevent the member declaration from masking the global one.

Thanks all. Another mystery solved.

I am doing code porting and trying to keep close to the original. There are obvious reasons not to change using other function or the result may not be desired. Yet, will do consider using fstream in future C++ developments.

Thank you again.

btw, the compiler does know where to find the global open() if my class member function is named differently, which is the trap. Perhaps the compiler may introduce a switch to make the difference.