C++ - Static function using vector<derivedclass> don't find declared identifier - c++

Question

while working on a personal project on a new language, I 've come across a annoying compiling time error where a static member of my constants.h (constants class) doesn't find the class name (Quark which is a derived class of Particle, those two in the same file "Particle.h") used in parameter...
Here is the compilation error output:
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(41): error C2065: 'Quark' : undeclared identifier
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(41): error C2923: 'std::vector' : 'Quark' is not a valid template type argument for parameter '_Ty'
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(45): error C2065: 'Quark' : undeclared identifier
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(45): error C2923: 'std::vector' : 'Quark' is not a valid template type argument for parameter '_Ty'
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(45): error C3861: 'Quark': identifier not found
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(45): error C2514: 'std::vector' : class has no constructors
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(46): error C2663: 'std::vector<_Ty,_Alloc>::vector' : 8 overloads have no legal conversion for 'this' pointer
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(50): error C2065: 'Quark' : undeclared identifier
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(50): error C2923: 'std::vector' : 'Quark' is not a valid template type argument for parameter '_Ty'
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(50): error C3861: 'Quark': identifier not found
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(50): error C2514: 'std::vector' : class has no constructors
1>f:\bibliotheques\documents\visual studio 2013\projects\particlefuzzer\launcher\constants.h(51): error C2663: 'std::vector<_Ty,_Alloc>::vector' : 8 overloads have no legal conversion for 'this' pointer
Here the crashing code:
constants.h
#pragma once
#include "stdafx.h"
#include <vector>
#include "Particle.h"
class constants
{
public:
static enum nucl
{
proton = 0
,neutron = 1
};
static std::vector<Quark> getNuclVal(nucl type)
{
if (type == nucl::proton)
{
std::vector<Quark> result({ Quark(std::string("up")), Quark(std::string("up")), Quark(std::string("down")) });
return result;
}
else
{
std::vector<Quark> result({ Quark(std::string("up")), Quark(std::string("down")), Quark(std::string("down")) });
return result;
}
};
// More functions and constants
};
Particle.h
#pragma once
#include <vector>
#include "Entity.h"
#include "constants.h"
class Particle : public Entity
{
private:
// some stuff
public:
// some stuff
};
class Quark : public Particle
{
public:
Quark(std::string &const);
};
and there is my Quark class definition in Particle.cpp
#include "stdafx.h"
#include "Particle.h"
#include "constants.h"
#include <string>
#include "Entity.h"
Particle::Particle(std::string &const name, Size size)
: Entity::Entity()
, m_charge(0) //en e
, m_mass(0) //en electron Volt (eV)/c²
, m_Size(size)
, m_name(name)
{
};
Quark::Quark(std::string &const name) // declaration stuff
: Particle(name, Size::Sub_Atomic)
{
constants::quark type = constants::getQuarkByName(m_name);
setMass(constants::getMass(type));
setCharge(constants::getCharge(type));
}
// various stuffs
There is my precompiled header which include every sources I need in my program (to let you see compilation order) stdafx.h
#pragma once
#include "targetver.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#include <tchar.h>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <string>
// TODO: reference additional headers your program requires here
#include "Math.h"
#include "SciNumber.h"
#include "PhyEngine.h"
#include "Options.h"
#include "ConfigFile.h"
#include "Chameleon.h"
#include "Entity.h"
#include "Particle.h"
#include "constants.h"
I wonder if I need to separate my derived classes of Particle to specific files or not (It would add a lot of files..... T-T), what do you think about it?
here is my class diagram (open with Visual studio) to help you visualize the whole project: download it here via my dropbox

Answer 1

You have a circular dependency in your headers. Particle.h includes constants.h and constants.h includes Particle.h. You'll need break the loop.
You get the error because when Particle.h is included, it'll at first include constants.h. Then constants.h will try to include Particle.h. #pragma once will prevent infinite recursion, but also means that rest of the Particle.h is not yet included before the contents of the constants.h. Thus the compiler complains about missing declarations.
You should be able to break the loop by breaking your headers and possibly classes into smaller ones*. The static member functions of constants are not strictly related to each other, are they? In fact, from what I've seen, it should probably be a namespace rather than a class**. Stuff in namespace can be conviniently declared in separate headers while a class must be defined entirely in one.
*Assuming you actually need to. If Particle.h doesn't depend on constants.h, then simply remove the include.
**I may be wrong about that since you didn't show the entire class.
Break off the part of constants that depends on Quark (and anything that depends on anything that depends on Quark, recursively) into another class in another header and don't include that one inside Particle.h. Or break off parts of Particle.h that depend on constants.h and don't include that one in constants.h.
stdafx.h also includes constants.h which in turn includes stdafx.h. You'll need to fix all circular includes.

Answer 2

Try moving
#include "constants.h"
to the bottom of Particle.h. What currently happens is that Particle.h goes through constants.h before it has declared the types.
constants.h is not re-including particle.h because of pragma #once (without which you would have circular dependencies and nothing would work anyway).
You also don't need the #include "constants.h" in stdafx.h as it is already included in Particle.h
I hope this helps!