error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before 'namespace'

Question

/* FeetToMeters.cpp : Demonstrates a conversion program that uses a 
   decimal point value
*/

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;


int main()
{
// Define the variables
	double f;				// holds the value of "feet"
	double m;				// holds the value of "meters"

// Get the lenfth to calculate from the user
	cout << "Enter The value in Feet: ";
	cin >> f;
	cout << "\n";				// new line

// Convert to meters using the formula
	m = f / 3.28;		// This is the formula
	cout << f << " Feet Is Equal To " << m << " meters\n";

	return 0;
}

Ok.. so I decide to start learning some inteligence <c++> and start in Visual C++ latest down load, get the turorials suggested which are great and get cracking at it.

After the fourth lesson I get the following build error

c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\istream(13) : error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before 'namespace'

the only difference with the various lesson projects I have been working on is the actual code 

int main()
{
code.....
code...
return 0
}

after typing the attached code I am unable to build all previous project lessons, I did the whole reboot thing and still the same problem?

Answer 1

Go to the directory indicated in the error message:

c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\

Open the file istream with an editor or viewer. (Notepad will do.)

Copy and paste the first 20 lines of that file into a post here.

- Wayne

Answer 2

I suspect that you have a missing semi-colon or closing brace in your stdafx.h header file. You should begin your search there.

Best Wishes,
-David Delaune

Answer 3

Quote>I suspect that you have a missing semi-colon or closing brace in your stdafx.h header file

Note that the OP said:

Quote>after typing the attached code I am unable to build all previous project lessons

I take this to mean that projects which previously built cleanly will no longer do so.
Since each project should have it's own stdafx.h it seems unlikely that this is the
source of the problem.

Note that the error message says:

missing ';' before 'namespace'

and points to line 13 of the header istream.

I see no word "namespace" anywhere in the istream header of my installation.

- Wayne

Answer 4

Note that the error message says:

missing ';' before 'namespace'

and points to line 13 of the header istream.

I see no word "namespace" anywhere in the istream header of my installation.

- Wayne

Hi Wayne,

Check your definition of _STD_BEGIN.

Best Wishes,
-David Delaune

Answer 5

Quote>Check your definition of _STD_BEGIN.

Will no-one rid me of these meddlesome macros?

Good catch. Thanks.

- Wayne

Answer 6

Hi Wayne

That is correct regarding all the previous compiled projects, I have attached the requested code

// istream standard header
#pragma once
#ifndef _ISTREAM_
#define _ISTREAM_
#ifndef RC_INVOKED
#include <ostream>

#ifdef _MSC_VER
 #pragma pack(push,_CRT_PACKING)
 #pragma warning(push,3)
#endif  /* _MSC_VER */

_STD_BEGIN;

		// TEMPLATE CLASS basic_istream
template<class _Elem,
	class _Traits>
	class basic_istream
		: virtual public basic_ios<_Elem, _Traits>
	{	// control extractions from a stream buffer
public:
	typedef basic_istream<_Elem, _Traits> _Myt;
	typedef basic_ios<_Elem, _Traits> _Myios;
	typedef basic_streambuf<_Elem, _Traits> _Mysb;
	typedef istreambuf_iterator<_Elem, _Traits> _Iter;
	typedef ctype<_Elem> _Ctype;
	typedef num_get<_Elem, _Iter> _Nget;

Answer 7

That looks kosher, so the problem is probably earlier.

Looking at the include chain from iostream, it pulls in istream which pulls in ostream
which pulls in ios which pulls in xlocnum which pulls in climits, etc. etc. Before that,
stdafx.h pulls in targetver.h etc. etc. All of the above are pulled in (at least a few
dozen files) before we reach line 13 of istream where the error occurs.

First, go to the Project Properties and under
Configuration Properties=>C/C++=>Advanced
set the field "Show Includes" to "Yes" then click on "Apply/OK".

Rebuild.

Go to the output window, select all of the lines, copy to Windows clipboard
and paste here in a message.


Second, answer these questions:

(1) Did you give each project its own name, or did you use the same name for each
project?

(2) Click on the Build menu, then click on "Clean Solution". Rebuild. Does the
problem persist?

(3) If the problem is still there, go to the Project Properties and under
Configuration Properties=>C/C++=>Precompiled Headers
set "Create/Use Precompiled Header" to "Not Using Precompiled Headers"
then click on "Apply/OK". Rebuild. Does the problem persist?

- Wayne

Answer 8

Hi Wayne

Ok, I have carried out each instruction as mentioned and the result is still the same. As for each project, they were all started as new projects and allocated a name and stored in the folder C:/ my docs/.../ Chapter 1. Could the problem be because I have more than one project in the same folder.

I have attached the requested info:

------ Build started: Project: FeetToMeters, Configuration: Debug Win32 ------
Compiling...
stdafx.cpp
Compiling...
FeetToMeters.cpp
Note: including file: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\iostream
Note: including file:  C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\istream
Note: including file:   C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\ostream
Note: including file:    C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\ios
Note: including file:     C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xlocnum
Note: including file:      C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\climits
Note: including file:       C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\yvals.h
Note: including file:        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\use_ansi.h
Note: including file:       C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\limits.h
Note: including file:        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:      C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\cstdio
Note: including file:      C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\cstdlib
Note: including file:       C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\stdlib.h
Note: including file:        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:      C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\streambuf
Note: including file:       C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xiosbase
Note: including file:        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xlocale
Note: including file:         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\cstring
Note: including file:          C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\string.h
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\stdexcept
Note: including file:          C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\exception
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xstddef
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\cstddef
Note: including file:             C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\stddef.h
Note: including file:              C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\eh.h
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\malloc.h
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:          C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xstring
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xmemory
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\new
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xutility
Note: including file:             C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\utility
Note: including file:              C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\iosfwd
Note: including file:               C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\cwchar
Note: including file:               C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdbg.h
Note: including file:                C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\typeinfo
Note: including file:         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xdebug
Note: including file:         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xlocinfo
Note: including file:          C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\xlocinfo.h
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\ctype.h
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:           C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\locale.h
Note: including file:            C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\crtdefs.h
Note: including file:        C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\include\share.h
c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\istream(13) : error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before 'namespace'
c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\ostream(50) : fatal error C1903: unable to recover from previous error(s); stopping compilation
        c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\ostream(642) : see reference to class template instantiation 'std::basic_ostream<_Elem,_Traits>' being compiled
        with
        [
            _Elem=char,
            _Traits=std::char_traits<char>
        ]
        c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\istream(13) : see reference to class template instantiation 'std::basic_ostream<_Elem,_Traits>' being compiled
Build log was saved at "file://c:\Documents and Settings\Reaper\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\Chapter 1\FeetToMeters\FeetToMeters\Debug\BuildLog.htm"
FeetToMeters - 2 error(s), 0 warning(s)
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

Answer 9

Did you resolve this problem yet?

The list of headers looks suspicious - I see no reference to stdafx.h which
should have been the first header listed. It should have been followed by the
headers which it pulls in. Did you turn off precompiled headers as I suggested?

- Wayne

Answer 10

Hi Dude,

 

I have faced the same problem. The resolution to this problem you need to check the all header files include included in your project.

In stdafx.h file may contains some of your own header files. That header files has errors i.e. struct defined in those files may missing the semicolon at the end.

 

I think this will help you.

 

---

Ayyavu

Answer 11

Hello,

 

reinstall your Visual Studio application. Safer and faster.

do not waste your time to look in headers. you are in the learning curve...

 

---

Christophe Pichaud