error C2593: 'operator +' is ambiguous

Question

Hello,

If I have the following files, I get this error (c2593 in VC9). If I un-comment the prototype in main.cpp, the error disappears. I need to maintain the same functionality while keeping the class out of main.cpp. How can I do that?

Thanks.

main.cpp:

#include "number.h"

//const Number operator + (const Number & lhs, const Number & rhs);

int main(void)
{
    Number n1(2);       // n1 = 2
    Number n2(9,3);     // n2 = 3
    Number n3 = n1+n2;  // n3 = 5
}

number.h:

struct Number
{
    int num;
    Number(int n=0,int d=1) {num = n/d;}
    operator int() {return num;}
    operator double() {return num*1.0;}
};

number.cpp:

#include "Number.h"

const Number operator + (const Number & lhs, const Number & rhs)
{
Number tmp;
tmp.num = lhs.num + rhs.num;
return tmp;
}

Answer 1

That commented line should go in number.h

EDIT: in number.h but as a free function.

Answer 2

Try putting the prototype in the Number header file:

number.h:

struct Number
{
    int num;
    Number(int n=0,int d=1) {num = n/d;}
    operator int() {return num;}
    operator double() {return num*1.0;}
};

const Number operator + (const Number & lhs, const Number & rhs);

number.cpp:

#include "Number.h"

const Number operator + (const Number & lhs, const Number & rhs)
{
Number tmp;
tmp.num = lhs.num + rhs.num;
return tmp;
}

main.cpp:

#include "number.h"

int main(void)
{
    Number n1(2);       // n1 = 2
    Number n2(9,3);     // n2 = 3
    Number n3 = n1+n2;  // n3 = 5
}

Answer 3

You never declare operator + in number.h, you only define it in number.cpp - therefore, when you include number.h in main.cpp, it doesn't know where to go to find operator +.

You must put the declaration of operator + in number.h, outside of the class, then define it in number.cpp

Answer 4

One other thing to note with your code before you go back to us with a very similar question: Better remove the operator int and operator double functions. They will cause you major headache. Let's make a few examples:

Number a, b;

1 + b;
// ambiguous: operator+(int, int) or 
//            operator+(Number, Number) ?

// did you intend to use those for this case?
float x = a; 
// ambiguous: from int -> float or
//                 double -> float ?

In the original situation you had, your addition was ambiguous, because there were operator+(double, double) and operator+(int, int) builtin operators considered and they were equally well. Others solved that problem. But before you start and run into these other problems, better remove the conversion functions and insert explicit functions like asDouble or something similar.

Answer 5

Personally I like it better to declare the operators inside the class:

struct Number
{
    int num;
    Number(int n=0,int d=1) {num = n/d;}
    operator int() {return num;}
    operator double() {return num*1.0;}
    Number operator+(const Number &arg) const;
};

and then:

Number Number::operator+(const Number &arg)
{
  ...
}

Answer 6

Apart from other's answers to declare operator+ in the header file, I suggest you to have operator+= in your struct as well.

struct Number
{
// your other declarations.
Number& operator+=(const Number& other)
{
   this->num += other.num;
   return *this;
}
};

const Number operator+(const Number& lhs, const Number& rhs)
{
    Number ret(lhs);
    ret += rhs;
    return ret;
}

This way it is efficient to call x += y; instead of x = x + y;