Setting union member in structure

[Jeff Massung]

I am having a syntax issue that I hope someone else here knows how to
rectify...

I am loading an INI file and have a simple function to load values from
it. The function is overloaded with the different return types int,
double or string. A structure is defined:

typedef struct INI_KEY {
char strCategory[32];
char strKey[32];

union {
int iDefaultValue;
double dDefaultValue;
char strDefaultValue[32];
} def;
} INI_KEY;

In the implementation is a global array of INI_KEY's that list off
various categories, keys and their default value (the value to return if
it isn't in the INI):

const INI_KEY g_keys[] = {
{ "category", "keyInt", 0 },
{ "category", "keyDouble" , 0.0 },
{ "category", "keyString" , "foo" },
// ...
};

The problem I'm having is in the default value of the global array. The
compiler is trying to convert the double and string values to integers
and generating compiler errors. I'm sure there is a syntax to tell the
compiler what member of the union to use, I just don't know it. If it
makes a difference, I'm using MS VC++ 7.

--
Best regards,
Jeff jma[at]mfire.com

http://www.jm-basic.com

[Mike Wahler]

Re: Setting union member in structure


"Jeff Massung" <jma@NOSPAM.mfi re.com> wrote in message
news:vue7e8h7m8 u2fc@corp.super news.com...[color=blue]
> I am having a syntax issue that I hope someone else here knows how to
> rectify...
>
> I am loading an INI file and have a simple function to load values from
> it. The function is overloaded with the different return types int,
> double or string. A structure is defined:
>
> typedef struct INI_KEY {
> char strCategory[32];
> char strKey[32];
>
> union {
> int iDefaultValue;
> double dDefaultValue;
> char strDefaultValue[32];
> } def;
> } INI_KEY;
>
> In the implementation is a global array of INI_KEY's that list off
> various categories, keys and their default value (the value to return if
> it isn't in the INI):
>
> const INI_KEY g_keys[] = {
> { "category", "keyInt", 0 },
> { "category", "keyDouble" , 0.0 },
> { "category", "keyString" , "foo" },
> // ...
> };
>
> The problem I'm having is in the default value of the global array. The
> compiler is trying to convert the double and string values to integers
> and generating compiler errors. I'm sure there is a syntax to tell the
> compiler what member of the union to use,[/color]

There is not.
[color=blue]
> I just don't know it. If it
> makes a difference, I'm using MS VC++ 7.[/color]

=============== =============== =============== =============== =========
ISO/IEC 14882:1998(E)

8.5.1 Aggregates

[....]

15 When a union is initialized with a brace-enclosed initializer,
the braces shall only contain an initializer for the first member
of the union. [Example:

union u { int a; char* b; };
u a = { 1 };
u b = a;
u c = 1; // error
u d = { 0, "asdf" }; // error
u e = { "asdf" }; // error

--end example] [Note: as described above, the braces around the
initializer for a union member can be omitted if the union is
a member of another aggregate. ]
=============== =============== =============== =============== =========

-Mike

[Jeff Massung]

Re: Setting union member in structure

"Mike Wahler" <mkwahler@mkwah ler.net> wrote in
news:c5GFb.1651 $lo3.248@newsre ad2.news.pas.ea rthlink.net:
[color=blue]
>
> "Jeff Massung" <jma@NOSPAM.mfi re.com> wrote in message
> news:vue7e8h7m8 u2fc@corp.super news.com...[color=green]
>>
>> const INI_KEY g_keys[] = {
>> { "category", "keyInt", 0 },
>> { "category", "keyDouble" , 0.0 },
>> { "category", "keyString" , "foo" },
>> // ...
>> };
>>
>> The problem I'm having is in the default value of the global array.
>> The compiler is trying to convert the double and string values to
>> integers and generating compiler errors. I'm sure there is a syntax
>> to tell the compiler what member of the union to use,[/color]
>
> There is not.
>
> =============== =============== =============== =============== =========
> ISO/IEC 14882:1998(E)
>
> 8.5.1 Aggregates
>
> [....]
>
> 15 When a union is initialized with a brace-enclosed initializer,
> the braces shall only contain an initializer for the first member
> of the union. [Example:
>
> union u { int a; char* b; };
> u a = { 1 };
> u b = a;
> u c = 1; // error
> u d = { 0, "asdf" }; // error
> u e = { "asdf" }; // error
>
> --end example] [Note: as described above, the braces around the
> initializer for a union member can be omitted if the union is
> a member of another aggregate. ]
> =============== =============== =============== =============== =========
>
> -Mike
>
>[/color]

Oh well. Thanks for the quick reply.

--
Best regards,
Jeff jma[at]mfire.com

http://www.jm-basic.com