On Compiler Error Messages: What They Say and What They Mean

Table 4

Error messages of four different C++ compilers for Errors 5–7.

Compiler	Message for Error 5
g++	In method ‘SavingAccount::SavingAccount()’:
	declaration of ‘float SavingAccount::getInterestRate()’
	outside of class is not definition
MinGW	In constructor ‘SavingAccount::SavingAccount()’:
	expected primary-expression before “float”
	expected ‘;’ before “float”
MVC++	error C2601: ‘getInterestRate’: local function definitions are illegal
	fatal error C1004: unexpected end of file found
BC++	E2089 Identifier ‘getInterestRate’ cannot have a type qualifier
	(plus 3 more lines)
Compiler	Message for Error 6
g++	/tmp/ccf2R75s.o: In function ‘Figure::Figure(int)’:
	/tmp/ccf2R75s.o(.text+0x9): undefined reference to ‘Figure virtual table’
MinGW	C:⧵…⧵Temp⧵ccqwbaaa.o(.text$_ZN6FigureC2Ei[Figure::Figure(int)]+0x8)
	In function ‘ZSt17__verify_groupingPKcjRKSs’:
	[Linker error] undefined reference to ‘vtable for Figure’
MVC++	error6.obj: error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol “public:
	virtual float__thiscall Figure::Perimeter(void)” (?Perimeter@Figure@@UAEMXZ)
	Debug/error6.exe: fatal error LNK1120: 1 unresolved externals
BC++	[Linker Error] Unresolved external ‘Figure::Perimeter()’ referenced
	from C:⧵DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS⧵[…]⧵ERROR6.OBJ
Compiler	Message for Error 7
g++	parse error before,
MinGW	In constructor ‘SavingsAccount::SavingsAccount(std::string, std::string, Date, float)’:
	expected primary-expression before “owner”
	expected primary-expression before “idNum”
	expected primary-expression before “openDate”
MVC++	error C2144: syntax error: missing ‘)’ before type ‘string’
	error C2612: trailing ‘#’ illegal in base/member initializer list
	error C2512: ‘BankAccount’: no appropriate default constructor available
	error C2082: redefinition of formal parameter ‘owner’
	error C2146: syntax error: missing ‘;’ before identifier ‘idNum’
	(plus 4 more lines)
BC++	E2108 Improper use of typedef ‘string’
	E2312 ‘string’ is not an unambiguous base class of ‘SavingsAccount’
	E2312 ‘Date’ is not an unambiguous base class of ‘SavingsAccount’
	E2251 Cannot find default constructor to initialize base class ‘BankAccount’