C++ error redefinition of function in spite of using #ifndef - c++

Question

I've tried several times to get rid of the error, one of which was to use #ifndef but it hasn't worked yet. Please help!
vec3.h file
#ifndef VEC3_H
#define VEC3_H
#include <cmath>
#include <iostream>
using std::sqrt;
class vec3 {
public:
vec3() : e{0,0,0} {}
vec3(double e0, double e1, double e2) : e{e0, e1, e2} {}
double x() const { return e[0]; }
double y() const { return e[1]; }
double z() const { return e[2]; }
vec3 operator-() const { return vec3(-e[0], -e[1], -e[2]); }
double operator[](int i) const { return e[i]; }
double& operator[](int i) { return e[i]; }
vec3& operator+=(const vec3 &v) {
e[0] += v.e[0];
e[1] += v.e[1];
e[2] += v.e[2];
return *this;
}
vec3& operator*=(const double t) {
e[0] *= t;
e[1] *= t;
e[2] *= t;
return *this;
}
vec3& operator/=(const double t) {
return *this *= 1/t;
}
double length() const {
return sqrt(length_squared());
}
double length_squared() const {
return e[0]*e[0] + e[1]*e[1] + e[2]*e[2];
}
public:
double e[3];
};
// Type aliases for vec3
using point3 = vec3; // 3D point
using color = vec3; // RGB color
#endif
// vec3 Utility Functions
inline std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream &out, const vec3 &v) {
return out << v.e[0] << ' ' << v.e[1] << ' ' << v.e[2];
}
inline vec3 operator+(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
return vec3(u.e[0] + v.e[0], u.e[1] + v.e[1], u.e[2] + v.e[2]);
}
inline vec3 operator-(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
return vec3(u.e[0] - v.e[0], u.e[1] - v.e[1], u.e[2] - v.e[2]);
}
inline vec3 operator*(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
return vec3(u.e[0] * v.e[0], u.e[1] * v.e[1], u.e[2] * v.e[2]);
}
inline vec3 operator*(double t, const vec3 &v) {
return vec3(t*v.e[0], t*v.e[1], t*v.e[2]);
}
inline vec3 operator*(const vec3 &v, double t) {
return t * v;
}
inline vec3 operator/(vec3 v, double t) {
return (1/t) * v;
}
inline double dot(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
return u.e[0] * v.e[0]
+ u.e[1] * v.e[1]
+ u.e[2] * v.e[2];
}
inline vec3 cross(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
return vec3(u.e[1] * v.e[2] - u.e[2] * v.e[1],
u.e[2] * v.e[0] - u.e[0] * v.e[2],
u.e[0] * v.e[1] - u.e[1] * v.e[0]);
}
inline vec3 unit_vector(vec3 v) {
return v / v.length();
}
main file, chap_3.cpp
#include "color.h"
#include "ray.h"
#include "vec3.h"
#include <iostream>
color ray_color(const ray& r) {
vec3 unit_direction = unit_vector(r.direction());
auto t = 0.5*(unit_direction.y() + 1.0);
return (1.0-t)*color(1.0, 1.0, 1.0) + t*color(0.5, 0.7, 1.0);
}
int main() {
// Image
const auto aspect_ratio = 16.0 / 9.0;
const int image_width = 400;
const int image_height = static_cast<int>(image_width / aspect_ratio);
// Camera
auto viewport_height = 2.0;
auto viewport_width = aspect_ratio * viewport_height;
auto focal_length = 1.0;
auto origin = point3(0, 0, 0);
auto horizontal = vec3(viewport_width, 0, 0);
auto vertical = vec3(0, viewport_height, 0);
auto lower_left_corner = origin - horizontal/2 - vertical/2 - vec3(0, 0, focal_length);
// Render
std::cout << "P3\n" << image_width << " " << image_height << "\n255\n";
for (int j = image_height-1; j >= 0; --j) {
std::cerr << "\rScanlines remaining: " << j << ' ' << std::flush;
for (int i = 0; i < image_width; ++i) {
auto u = double(i) / (image_width-1);
auto v = double(j) / (image_height-1);
ray r(origin, lower_left_corner + u*horizontal + v*vertical - origin);
color pixel_color = ray_color(r);
write_color(std::cout, pixel_color);
}
}
std::cerr << "\nDone.\n";
}
How can I solve errors like the following:
enter codevec3.h: In function 'vec3 operator+(const vec3&, const vec3&)':
vec3.h:65:17: error: redefinition of 'vec3 operator+(const vec3&, const vec3&)'
inline vec3 operator+(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
^~~~~~~~
In file included from color.h:4:0,
from chap_3.cpp:1:
vec3.h:65:17: note: 'vec3 operator+(const vec3&, const vec3&)' previously defined here
inline vec3 operator+(const vec3 &u, const vec3 &v) {
^~~~~~~~ here
I've tried several sources but to no avail, also I picked the code from a trusted source and have made only minor changes so I am not able to understand why the error is occuring.

Answer 1

Your inline definitions are after the #ifndef/#endif surrounding the rest of the header file, meaning they will be picked up by every #include. You can either
Move the #endif to the very end of the header file, or
Use #pragma once instead of the include guards (not standard but most compilers support it).