C89 - error: expected ')' before '*' token

Question

I am getting this error within C.

error: expected ')' before '*' token

But cannot trace it.

void print_struct(struct_alias *s) //error within this line
{
...
} //end of print method

My question is when receiving this error where can the error stem back to? Is it a problem with the function, can it be an error with what is being passed in? What is the scope of the error?

Show some more code so that we can help you better! And on what line number is the error? — Rizier123, Oct 08 '14 at 21:36
@Rizier123: The question shows us the line on which the error occurs; see the comment. — Keith Thompson, Oct 08 '14 at 21:37

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Oct 08 '14 at 21:36

The compiler doesn't recognize the name struct_alias as a type name.

For that code to compile, struct_alias would have to be declared as a typedef, and that declaration would have to be visible to the compiler when it sees the definition of print_struct.

(Typedef names are tricky. In effect, they become temporarily user-defined keywords, which is why errors involving them can produce such confusing error messages.)

This is not specific to C89; it applies equally to C90 (which is exactly the same language as C89), to C99, and to C11.

I looked into it and your right. It wasn't declared as a typedef. Thankyou! — Jebathon, Oct 08 '14 at 21:40

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 08 '14 at 21:36

0

The error means that here's no such type as struct_alias declared in this translation unit.

answered Oct 08 '14 at 21:36

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C89 - error: expected ')' before '*' token

2 Answers2