MOC'ing with #include's

[mule]

[Using Qt 4.7.4 and Qt Add-In 1.1.9 with Visual Studio 2008]

I have a .H defining a class that is a Q_OBJECT.
The class contains many "parts".
To keep the source file size manageable, the "parts" are separated into separate files.
Within the class definition, #include preprocessor directives are used to pull the separate files into the .H for compilation.
However, while MOC'ing (I believe) the following error is generated:
<file>.h(<line>): Parse error at ";"

Commenting out the #include's and copy&pasting the files directly into the .H works file.

Any suggestions on getting around this "limitation"?
Thanks.

[wysota]

Do you have semicolons at the end of each #include statement?

[mule]

No. There are no ";" after the #includes in the original .H file.
Also, there are no extra ";"s in the included files. (They can be copy&pasted in without error.)

[wysota]

Can we get an example of an exact error together with the offending line and its surroundings?

[mule]

A (reduced) .H with 2 (reduced) include files as example:

Secretary.h

class  Secretary  : public QMainWindow
{
    Q_OBJECT
 
 
   public:
 
      // constructor
      Secretary( QWidget *   parent  = 0,
                 Qt::WFlags  flags = 0 );
      // destructor
      ~Secretary();
 
 
   private:
 
      // user interface
      Ui::SecretaryClass  ui;
 
 
   #include  "SecretaryH_tabMain_ClassScope.h"
   #include  "SecretaryH_tabMainHuman_ClassScope.h"
};

class  Secretary  : public QMainWindow
{
    Q_OBJECT


   public:

      // constructor
      Secretary( QWidget *   parent  = 0,
                 Qt::WFlags  flags = 0 );
      // destructor
      ~Secretary();


   private:

      // user interface
      Ui::SecretaryClass  ui;


   #include  "SecretaryH_tabMain_ClassScope.h"
   #include  "SecretaryH_tabMainHuman_ClassScope.h"
};

To copy to clipboard, switch view to plain text mode 

SecretaryH_tabMain_ClassScope.h

private:
 
        // init tab
   int  Secretary::iTabMain_InitTab( int  a_iTabIndex );
        // tab index changed
   int  Secretary::iTabMain_TabIndexChanged( int  a_iNewTabIndex );
 
 
private slots:
 
   void  on_tabMain_currentChanged( int  a_iIndex );

private:

        // init tab
   int  Secretary::iTabMain_InitTab( int  a_iTabIndex );
        // tab index changed
   int  Secretary::iTabMain_TabIndexChanged( int  a_iNewTabIndex );


private slots:

   void  on_tabMain_currentChanged( int  a_iIndex );

To copy to clipboard, switch view to plain text mode 

SecretaryH_tabMainHuman_ClassScope.h

private:
 
                       // list model
   Model_TableView1 *  ptTabMainHumanList_Model;
 
        // setup list model
   int  iTabMainHumanList_SetupModel( void );
        // teardown list model
   int  iTabMainHumanList_TeardownModel( void );
 
        // clear and load list header data
   int  iTabMainHumanList_ClearLoadHeaderData( void );
 
        // clear list data
   int  iTabMainHumanList_ClearData( void );
        // clear and load list data
   int  iTabMainHumanList_ClearLoadData( void );
 
 
private slots:
 
   void  on_tableHumanList_clicked( const QModelIndex &  item );
 
   void  on_buttonHumanCreateNew_clicked();
   void  on_buttonHumanCopyNew_clicked();
   void  on_buttonHumanEdit_clicked();
   void  on_buttonHumanDelete_clicked();

private:

                       // list model
   Model_TableView1 *  ptTabMainHumanList_Model;

        // setup list model
   int  iTabMainHumanList_SetupModel( void );
        // teardown list model
   int  iTabMainHumanList_TeardownModel( void );

        // clear and load list header data
   int  iTabMainHumanList_ClearLoadHeaderData( void );

        // clear list data
   int  iTabMainHumanList_ClearData( void );
        // clear and load list data
   int  iTabMainHumanList_ClearLoadData( void );


private slots:

   void  on_tableHumanList_clicked( const QModelIndex &  item );

   void  on_buttonHumanCreateNew_clicked();
   void  on_buttonHumanCopyNew_clicked();
   void  on_buttonHumanEdit_clicked();
   void  on_buttonHumanDelete_clicked();

To copy to clipboard, switch view to plain text mode 

Build output is:

1>------ Build started: Project: Secretary, Configuration: Release Win32 ------
1>Moc'ing Secretary.h...
1>.\Secretary.h(75): Parse error at ";"
1>Project : error PRJ0019: A tool returned an error code from "Moc'ing Secretary.h..."
1>Build log was saved at "file://\\psf\Home\Desktop\GAB\v1.0.0\Secretary\Release\Bu ildLog.htm"
1>Secretary - 1 error(s), 0 warning(s)
========== Build: 0 succeeded, 1 failed, 0 up-to-date, 0 skipped ==========

[wysota]

I think MOC doesn't expect to get an include statement inside a class definition. It can't process such include since it doesn't know how to include files itself. Shouldn't you be using subclassing (or templates) instead of including?

[mule]

Yes, you are correct. I should use subclassing.
This thing started as one huge source file, and I was trying to cheat and do it the fast way by just breaking it up and including the pieces, without modifying the code.

You are most likely also correct that MOC doesn't know what to do with the #includes. I was hoping to be able to run the preprocessor before MOCing to do the includes, but I could not figure out how to do that.

I will start editing to do it the correct way.

Thanks, w!

mule