Error when passing an object by reference .....

Question

So I have a problem....

I've a method
void MainWindow::loadItems(const ArticleStore& store)
{
}

that I try to call like this inside the MainWindow class
ArticleStore store();
loadItems(store)

And I get this error
mainwindow.cpp:15: error: no matching function for call to ‘MainWindow::loadItems(ArticleStore (&)())’
mainwindow.h:19: note: candidates are: void MainWindow::loadItems(const ArticleStore&)
ArticleStore definition:
class ArticleStore
{
public:
ArticleStore();
};

So the question is what went wrong?

Answer 1

It's because

ArticleStore store();

is interpreted by the compiler as a function declaration. That's explain why compiler is looking for ‘MainWindow::loadItems(ArticleStore (&)())’ You must write instead:

Article store; // With no parenthesis

Answer 2

ArticleStore store; loadItems(store);

Notice the lack of brackets after the name. The compiler is mistaking your version as a function prototype for a function called store, taking no arguments and returning an ArticleStore instance. Then you pass this function pointer to the next function which doesn't work.