'Render': 'class' type redefinition (C2011) - c++

Question

There are a lot of similar questions on Stack Overflow, regarding this topic.
I am creating a project with multiple files (.cpp and .h). I am getting the error:
C2011: 'Render': 'class' type redefinition
I have read about it. Some people are saying use guards, so I am using #pragma once on all header files. Some people say the header is being included multiple times, but the guards will prevent that. So what am I doing wrong?
Code:
Cubes.h
#pragma once
char orientation(int sides, int hV);
std::vector<char> visOrd(std::string *xOrd, int *pov, int ord);
std::vector<int> convertColour(std::vector<std::string> rlBoxCol);
std::tuple<std::vector<int>, std::vector<std::string>> organiseLayers(std::vector<int> boxCoords, std::vector<std::string> rlBoxCol, std::vector<float> rot);
class Render
{
private:
std::vector<float> rot;
std::vector<int> boxCoords;
std::vector<std::string> rlBoxCol;
int gridSize;
int cubeSize;
std::vector<int> offset;
public:
Render();
void setRotation(std::vector<float> setRot);
std::vector<float> getRotation();
void setCoordinates(std::vector<int> setBoxCoords);
std::vector<int> getCoordinates();
void setColours(std::vector<std::string> setRlBoxCol);
std::vector<std::string> getColours();
void setSizeOfGrid(int setGridSize);
int getSizeOfGrid();
void setSizeOfCubes(int setCubeSize);
int getSizeOfCubes();
void setOffset(std::vector<int> setOffset);
std::vector<int> getOffset();
void display();
};
Cubes.cpp
#include "Cubes.h"
#include "Global.h"
char orientation(int sides, int hV)
{
// Code
}
std::vector<char> visOrd(std::string *xOrd, int *pov, int ord)
{
// Code
}
std::vector<int> convertColour(std::vector<std::string> rlBoxCol)
{
// Code
}
std::tuple<std::vector<int>, std::vector<std::string>> organiseLayers(std::vector<int> boxCoords, std::vector<std::string> rlBoxCol, std::vector<float> rot)
{
// Code
}
Render::Render()
{
this->rot;
this->boxCoords;
this->rlBoxCol;
this->gridSize;
this->cubeSize;
this->offset;
}
void Render::setRotation(std::vector<float> setRot)
{ // Set rotation
rot = setRot;
}
std::vector<float> Render::getRotation()
{ // Get rotation
return rot;
}
void Render::setCoordinates(std::vector<int> setBoxCoords)
{
boxCoords = setBoxCoords;
}
std::vector<int> Render::getCoordinates()
{
return boxCoords;
}
void Render::setColours(std::vector<std::string> setRlBoxCol)
{
rlBoxCol = setRlBoxCol;
}
std::vector<std::string> Render::getColours()
{
return rlBoxCol;
}
void Render::setSizeOfGrid(int setGridSize)
{
gridSize = setGridSize;
}
int Render::getSizeOfGrid()
{
return gridSize;
}
void Render::setSizeOfCubes(int setCubeSize)
{
cubeSize = setCubeSize;
}
int Render::getSizeOfCubes()
{
return cubeSize;
}
void Render::setOffset(std::vector<int> setOffset)
{
offset = setOffset;
}
std::vector<int> Render::getOffset()
{
return offset;
}
void Render::display()
{
// Drawing code
}
EDIT:
I have now changed the code in ways you said. Now I am getting errors LNK2005 and LNK1169. What's gone wrong now?
EDIT 2: (Errors)
LNK2005
"class sf::RenderWindow Window" (?Window##3VRenderWindow#sf##A) already defined in Cubes.obj
C:\Users\George\Documents\C++\Projects\Don't fall\Don't fall\main.obj 1
.
LNK2005
"class std::basic_string,class std::allocator > status" (?status##3V?$basic_string#DU?$char_traits#D#std##V?$allocator#D#2##std##A) already defined in Cubes.obj
C:\Users\George\Documents\C++\Projects\Don't fall\Don't fall\main.obj 1
.
LNK1169
one or more multiply defined symbols found
C:\Users\George\Documents\C++\Projects\Don't fall\Debug\Don't fall.exe 1
Global.h:
#pragma once
#include <SFML\Graphics.hpp>
// This is where all my global variables will be
extern sf::RenderWindow Window(sf::VideoMode(500, 500), "Maximize window to play the game");
extern std::string status = "NULL";

Answer 1

Your Cubes.cpp does redefine the class Render. In general the .h file has the class prototype and the .cpp defines the methods.
Try adding this to the top of the Cubes.cpp:
#include "Cubes.h"
removing this from the top of Cubes.cpp:
class Render
{
private:
std::vector<float> rot;
std::vector<int> boxCoords;
std::vector<std::string> rlBoxCol;
int gridSize;
int cubeSize;
std::vector<int> offset;
public:
and removing this from the bottom:
};

Answer 2

This is not how you provide the implementation of a class in C++. The keyword class defines the class, which is what you have in your header (.h file). In the .cpp file you wish to implement the methods which you defined in your header file, so you should not redefine the entire class. Rather, you need to provide implementations for the methods (member functions) of the class, like so:
void Render::setRotation(std::vector<float> setRot)
{ // Set rotation
rot = setRot;
}
std::vector<float> Render::getRotation()
{ // Get rotation
return rot;
}
Notice the prefix Render::? This is how you indicate that you are providing an implementation for the function setRotation of the class Render. Just add the function implementation like this in your cpp, do not nest them within a class, do not include any fields (the member fields have already been defined in the header, they are done).
Update:
OK, so according to the updated answer your linker error refers to the instances sf::RenderWindow Window and std::string status; this error occurs when linking main.obj (from main.cpp?) with Cubes.obj. The error is telling you that both main.obj and Cubes.obj define these variables.
I recommend that you read about "Compilation Units" in C++ and difference between declaration and definition of a symbol; but to give a very brief summary:
Essentially, the compiler runs on a single "compilation unit"; you can think of it as a single file. What the #include-statement does is basically copy/paste the content of the included file into the compilation unit. So when you compile Cubes.cpp, it will go through all of the nested includes until it has generated one huge cpp-file with everything included. Then it will build this into an .obj file. Then you do the same thing with main.cpp, and any other .cpp files you might have. Finally, the linker will attempt to link these object files together to produce the final result.
Now, if the linker finds duplicate definitions when linking two objects you will get an error. So you cannot have two global variables with the same name! If both Cubes.cpp and main.cpp include global.h, then both compilation units contain global variable definitions Window and status. This is causing your linker error.
This is why you put a declaration in the header (since it is included in multiple compilation units), and the definition in the source file (typically not included elsewhere). You build the source file to produce the only object file containing the definition; all other object files only reference the declaration. The linker can then link those references to the definition found in one the object files.
So you want to declare the variables in the header, and move the definition somewhere else. For instance, to main.cpp; but that depends entirely on the rest of your application and what you are trying to achieve. Outside the scope of the question.