Indirection requires pointer operand

Question

I'm getting this error, Indirection requires pointer operand ('int invalid') in this code, I think I'm using empPtr wrong in this code, but I'm not sure.

Thanks in advance guys.

I will also include my other classes at this link. https://gist.github.com/anonymous/08ff6c5284c179c9a323

My input text file looks like this.

123,John,Brown,125 Prarie Street,Staunton,IL,62088
124,Matt,Larson,126 Hudson Road,Edwardsville,IL,62025
125,Joe,Baratta,1542 Elizabeth Road,Highland,IL,62088
126,Kristin,Killebrew,123 Prewitt Drive,Alton,IL,62026
127,Tyrone,Meyer,street,999 Orchard Lane,Livingston,62088

Here is my main.cpp.

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#include "Employee.h"

using namespace std;

bool openFileForReading(ifstream& fin, const string& filename);
bool openFileForWriting(ofstream& fout, const string& filename);

int readFromFile(ifstream& in, Employee empArray[]);

void writeToFile(ofstream& out, const Employee empArray[], const int numberofEmployees);

int main() {

    ifstream fin;
    ofstream fout;

    if(!openFileForReading(fin, "employeesIn.txt")) {
        cerr << "Error opening employeesIn.txt for reading." << endl;
        exit(1);
    }

    if(!openFileForWriting(fout, "employeesOut.txt")) {
        cerr << "Error opeing employeesOut.txt for writing." << endl;
        exit(1);
    }

    Employee employeeArray[50];

    int employeeCount = readFromFile(fin, employeeArray);

    fin.close();

    writeToFile(fout, employeeArray, employeeCount);

    fout.close();

    cout << "Program successful." << endl << endl;


    return 0;
}

bool openFileForReading(ifstream& fin, const string& filename) {
    fin.open("employeesIn.txt");

    return (fin.is_open());
}

bool openFileForWriting(ofstream& fout, const string& filename) {
    fout.open("employeesOut.txt");

    return (fout.is_open());
}

int readFromFile(ifstream& in, Employee empArray[]) {
    int temp = 0;
    string eidText;
    string first;
    string last;
    string street;
    string city;
    string state;
    string zipcode;

    while(!in.eof()) {
        getline(in, eidText, ',');
        getline(in, first, ',');
        getline(in, last, ',');
        getline(in, street, ',');
        getline(in, city, ',');
        getline(in, state, ',');
        getline(in, zipcode);

        empArray[temp].setEid(stoi(eidText));
        empArray[temp].setName(first, last);
        empArray[temp].setAddress(street, city, state, zipcode);

        temp++;
    }

    return temp;
}

void writeToFile(ofstream& out, const Employee empArray[], const int numberOfEmployees) {

    for (int i = 0; i < numberOfEmployees; i++){
        out << "Employee Record: " << empArray[i].getEid()
        << endl
        << "Name: " << empArray[i].getName()
        << endl
        << "Home Address: " << empArray[i].getAddress() 
        << endl
        << endl;
    }
}

Solution 1

You have

int empPtr = 0;

followed by

(*empPtr).setEid(stoi(eidText));

which is clearly the cause of this error.

Solution 2

This line is wrong.

Employee empPtr = employeeArray[50];

The maximum valid index for employeeArray is 49.

To get the first item of the array, use:

Employee empPtr = employeeArray[0];

To get the last item of the array, use:

Employee empPtr = employeeArray[49];

More on accessing C and C++ arrays can be found at http://www.augustcouncil.com/~tgibson/tutorial/arr.html and http://www.tutorialspoint.com/cprogramming/c_arrays.htm.

Comments

[MatthewTingle]

What should I change it to?

[MatthewTingle]

What would you change int empPtr to? Also, what do you think about my array declarations?

[mclaassen]

First of all you are never using the value of Employee empPtr = employeeArray[50];, so I'm not sure what the purpose of that line is. Although though you are accessing an index past the end of the array ([50]), that is a run time error and would not cause a compiler error. Second of all empPtr is not a pointer, it is just a stack variable of type Employee. I'm not sure what you are trying to do in readFromFile, but you cannot dereference a non pointer type, int in this case, which is what empPtr is in that method.

[MatthewTingle]

I've changed it to the [49] version, and I still get the error in my (*empPtr).setEid(stoi(eidText));

[MatthewTingle]

I didn't want to use empPtr in the first place, but was referred to it by someone else, I have changed the above code back to what I originally had before empPtr. My output file opens, yet nothing is being written to it.

[mclaassen]

So are you still getting an error? I don't see empPtr at all anymore.

[MatthewTingle]

I have removed empPtr, looking for other options why my output to file is not working, it opens the file but isn't writing for some odd reason.

[mclaassen]

Are you sure employeeArray is being populated with anything and employeeCount is not 0?

[MatthewTingle]

Yes I believe it is, when I look at empArray in the debugger it looks like everything is being populated. Maybe my temp is wrong? But I don't think that would have an effect.

[MatthewTingle]

It actually says this line is messed up I believe empArray[temp].setEid(stoi(eidText)); in the debugger it says eidText is ""

[mclaassen]

Well there's your problem. All of your data is probably empty strings, so nothing is getting written to the file. getline is probably not working correctly.

[MatthewTingle]

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

[MarcusJ]

I don't get it. can you access a variable as a variable some of the time and pointer other times, and if so how? would it change anything if I access it as a pointer all of the time?