How to work with extern in different files - c++

Question

I have these files structure:
main.cpp
#include "main.h"
Map map;
Fruit fruit;
Stone stone;
main.h
extern Map map;
extern Fruit fruit;
extern Stone stone;
map.h
#include "main.h"
class Map {public: int size = 20;};
fruit.h
#include "main.h"
class Fruit { public: int pos = 1; draw() {return map.size;} };
stone.h
#include "main.h"
class Stone { public: draw() {return map.size * fruit.pos;} };
The problem is when I'm trying to use map.size and fruit.pos I get error:
'map': undeclared identifier
The same with stone. So, what's wrong?

Answer 1

main.h should include map.h not the other way around.
main.h should include fruit.h not the other way around.
main.h should include stone.h not the other way around.
Also you should add include guards to your header files.
EDIT
Here's one way that works, (I can't believe I recommending code like this but still)
// map.h
#ifndef MAP_H
#define MAP_H
class Map {public: int size = 20};
extern Map map;
#endif
// fruit.h
#ifndef FRUIT_H
#define FRUIT_H
#include "map.h"
class Fruit { public: int pos = 1; draw() {return map.size;} };
extern Fruit fruit;
#endif
// stone.h
#ifndef STONE_H
#define STONE_H
#include "map.h"
#include "fruit.h"
class Stone { public: draw() {return map.size * fruit.pos;} };
extern Stone stone;
#endif
// main.cpp
#include "map.h"
#include "fruit.h"
#include "stone.h"
Map map;
Fruit fruit;
Stone stone;
This is not how you are supposed to write code.

Answer 2

Files (*.h or *.cpp) should only include files that they directly depend upon.
Files should not include files that they do not depend upon.
One way to break cyclical dependencies is to put the implementation in the foo.cpp source file instead of inline in the foo.h header file.
One way to break dependencies on global variables is to instead pass them in as parameters instead of having them hard-coded into the routines.
Use of a forward declaration can be used to avoid including an header file that is only used to declare the type. Only when the details of the type, such as its methods and footprint, are not important. Alas, forward declarations for template classes are trickier.
For the files in the OP example, here's an alternative implementation incorporating those suggestions.
fruit.h
#ifndef FRUIT_H
#define FRUIT_H
class Map;
class Fruit {
public:
int pos = 1;
auto draw(Map const&) -> int;
};
#endif
map.h
#ifndef MAP_H
#define MAP_H
class Map {
public:
int size = 20;
};
#endif
stone.h
#ifndef STONE_H
#define STONE_H
class Fruit;
class Map;
class Stone {
public:
auto draw(Map const& map, Fruit const& fruit) -> int;
};
#endif
fruit.cpp
// Identity.
#include "fruit.h"
// Other dependencies.
#include "map.h"
auto Fruit::draw(Map const& map) -> int {
return map.size;
}
stone.cpp
// Identity.
#include "stone.h"
// Other dependencies.
#include "fruit.h"
#include "map.h"
auto Stone::draw(Map const& map, Fruit const& fruit) -> int {
return map.size * fruit.pos;
}
main.cpp
#include <iostream>
#include "fruit.h"
#include "map.h"
#include "stone.h"
using std::cout;
int main() {
auto map = Map{};
auto fruit = Fruit{};
auto stone = Stone{};
map.size = 17;
fruit.pos = 3;
cout << "map.size is " << map.size << "\n";
cout << "fruit.pos is " << fruit.pos << "\n";
cout << "fruit.draw(map) is " << fruit.draw(map) << "\n";
cout << "stone.draw(map, fruit) is " << stone.draw(map, fruit) << "\n";
}