Creating a class. Header file?

[nathanielb91]

I have created a class "Clock". I'm following from an example out of my book, and everything compiles fine except for one thing, the header file at the top. I'm confused on what a header file is. I wrote "Clock.h" because that's what the books example is. The error I'm getting says "Clock.h file not found". Do I need to save just the clock class in a different file, and have my main method in a totally different file too? Thanks.

All the code below is in the same file.

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

int main(int argc, const char * argv[])
{
    Clock c1;
    c1.set();
    c1.print();
    c1.tick();
    c1.tick();
    c1.print();
    Clock c2;
    c2.set(999);
    for (int i = 0; i < 100000; i++)
        c2.tick();
    c2.print();    
    
    
    return 0;
} // End main method

class Clock
{
public:
    void set (unsigned long t = 0)
    {
        ticks = t;
    }
    void tick()
    {
        ticks++;
    }
    void print()
    {
        cout << "Current ticks == " << ticks << endl;
    }
    
private:
    unsigned long ticks;

};  // End class Clock 

[Zhuge]

The class Clock definition is meant to be in another file called "Class.h".

Edit: So yes, you are correct. The main() and class Clock are meant to be in separate files.

[Stewbond]

Just like how functions need to be declared before their use, so do classes. Clock.h would include the class declaration. It probably looks like this:

class Clock
{
public:
    void set (unsigned long t = 0);
    void tick();
    void print();
private:
    unsigned long ticks;
};

However if you add that you'd get an error as the set (unsigned long t=0) cannot be done twice. The class below looks like it was written for a header so it's better in this case to just cut and paste that into your header.

[TheIdeasMan]

As well as Stewbond's code in the Clock.h file, you would have the definitions of the functions in a Clock.cpp file.

You can get your IDE to do this for you with the class wizard.

The Clock.cpp file might look like this:

void Clock::set (unsigned long t = 0) {
        ticks = t;
}
void Clock::tick() {
        ticks++;
}
void Clock::print() {
        cout << "Current ticks == " << ticks << endl;
}

So you will have 3 files altogether.

Hope all goes well.