How to fix 'PCH Warning: header stop not at file scope'

Question

I've set up my programs and header files as what I think is the correct way, but I keep getting the error mentioned in the title.

I have tried searching for fixes for this issue, which most of them were simply adding ';' after the class definition in a header file. I've tried most all the fixes I could find with the same results.

Here is the main program where the error is flagging:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <iomanip>
#include <fstream>
#include "computeGross.h"
#include "computeInsurance.h"
#include "Employee.h" /*<-----------------This is where the error flags*/
using namespace std;

int main()
{ }

And here is the header file that the error is flagging:

#ifndef EMPLOYEE_H
#define EMPLOYEE_H
#include <string>
using namespace std;

struct Employee
{
    string name;
    double rate;
    double hours;
    double insurance;
    double social;
    double stateTax;
    double fedTax;
    double netPay;
    double grossPay;
};

#endif

I assume you are on some version of Visual Studio. Never include `pch.h` in a header. Always put `#include "pch.h"` as the first line of every one of your .cpp files — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 19:56
Unrelated to your problem, but never use `using namespace std;` in a header file. Because what if the user of your header *has conflicting definitions*!? — Zan Lynx, Jul 15 '19 at 19:57
Also your error could be in one of your "compute" headers and you only see the error message in employee because it is the last one. — Zan Lynx, Jul 15 '19 at 19:58
Other than the error message I don't see any usage of precompiled headers in the presented files. — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 19:59
@drescherjm It might be in the Makefile or whatever he is using. I've seen some for GCC / clang which use `-include pch.hpp` and have rules to automatically collect header file dependencies into `pch.hpp` — Zan Lynx, Jul 15 '19 at 20:01
@drescherjm I am using VS Community 2019, and have added the VS tag. — Stanky-kun, Jul 15 '19 at 20:10
My guess is that `computeGross.h` or `computeInsurance.h` improperly includes `pch.h` — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 20:19
`using namespace std;` in a header is not illegal but a very bad practice. However I don't see anything at all wrong with the code that is in the question. — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 20:21
Your endif in your real file does not have those backticks on it, does it? It should not. — Zan Lynx, Jul 15 '19 at 20:26
@ZanLynx no, that was a mistake while formatting my question. — Stanky-kun, Jul 15 '19 at 20:31
@drescherjm I have not included pch.h anywhere in my files, also, I'm only using namespace std due to errors thrown when I tried 'std::string' in my 'Employee' class. — Stanky-kun, Jul 15 '19 at 20:31
So precompiled headers are not enabled in your project at all? — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 20:32
To form a code block in the editor copy the text. Select it and press the {} button. I fixed the code blocks. — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 20:33
@drescherjm no, the only headers in use are the ones included in my main. — Stanky-kun, Jul 15 '19 at 20:34
I expect that this may then be a weird false positive from the `Intellisense`. It does not always get its suggestions correct. — drescherjm, Jul 15 '19 at 20:35

score 15 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 07 '21 at 17:35

15

FYI, I encountered this when I left a ; off of a declaration in another .h file. Since that declaration was never finished, when the #define was encountered in the next .h file it threw this error.

answered Feb 07 '21 at 17:35

jshep321

553
5
8

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 15 '19 at 19:59

3

Try changing the order of your header files. Try making a new cpp file and include the headers one at a time. See which one breaks.

Reduce the possible causes of the error until you find it.

answered Jul 15 '19 at 19:59

Zan Lynx

53,022
10
79
131

I made a new cpp and there were no issues until I added the 'Employee' header. – Stanky-kun Jul 15 '19 at 20:17
@Stanky-kun Keep reducing it. Make the Employee struct empty. Remove the ifndef,define,endif bits. Etc. – Zan Lynx Jul 15 '19 at 20:27
2

I included Employee first before my other headers and the problem resolved. I assume since the other headers were also including employee, it needed to be included first in my main. Thanks. – Stanky-kun Jul 15 '19 at 20:40

How to fix 'PCH Warning: header stop not at file scope'

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