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Language: C++
Expertise: Beginner

Feb 1, 2001

Beginners and even experienced programmers who switch to a new compiler suddenly discover that their programs don't compile anymore. Sometimes the programs compile but produce numerous warning messages. In most cases, the causes of this are common. Here is a short checklist for troubleshooting such frequent errors and omissions.

Avoid using the .h standard headers. These files are deprecated and outdated. Instead, use the new file header naming convention. For instance, instead of <iostream.h> and <vector.h> always use <iostream> and <vector> respectively.

Pay attention to namespaces. The standard header files are all declared in namespace std. You must provide a fully qualified name if you're referring to any of the identifiers in these files. For example: use std::cin, std::vector and std::string instead of cin, vector and string. Alternatively, place a using-declaration or a using directive in your program.

String issues. The definition of the term