SDL C++ Class Function Error - c++

Question

An snippet of my code from main.cpp
playerEntity::handle()
{
if( event.type == SDL_KEYDOWN )
{
switch( event.key.keysym.sym )
{
case SDLK_q:
running = false;
paused = true;
break;
case SDLK_ESCAPE:
paused = !paused;
break;
}
}
if( keystate[SDLK_UP] )
{
if( isJumping == false && isFreeFalling == false )
{
isJumping = true;
}
}
if( keystate[SDLK_LEFT] ) player.hitbox.x--;
if( keystate[SDLK_RIGHT] ) player.hitbox.x++;
if( player.hitbox.x < 0 ) {player.hitbox.x = 0;}
else if( player.hitbox.x > screen.WIDTH - player.hitbox.w ) {player.hitbox.x = screen.WIDTH - player.hitbox.w;}
if( player.hitbox.y < 0 ) {player.hitbox.y = 0;}
else if( player.hitbox.y > screen.HEIGHT - player.hitbox.h ) {player.hitbox.y = screen.HEIGHT - player.hitbox.h;}
}
Where playerEntity is defined in a header file:
#ifndef PLAYERENTITY_H
#define PLAYERENTITY_H
class playerEntity
{
private:
int jumpHeight;
int jump;
bool isJumping;
bool isFalling;
bool isFreeFalling;
SDL_Event event;
Uint8 *keystate;
public:
playerEntity();
void jump();
void handle();
void fall();
int health;
int damage;
SDL_Rect hitbox;
bool evolved;
};
#endif
And when I try to compile I get the errors:
ISO c++ forbids declaration of 'handle' with no type [-fpermissive]
prototype for 'int playerEntity::handle()' does not match any in class 'playerEntity'
error: candidate is: void playerEntity::handle().
I am still new to header files and classes, how do I fix the errors?

Answer 1

you should replace
playerEntity::handle()
with
void playerEntity::handle()

Answer 2

Write
void playerEntity::handle()
C++ requires the return type (which in this case is the nontype void) to be mentioned in the function's definition—an important type-safety measure.
By the way, you should probably move the definition of playerEntity::handle() from main.cpp to a new file, playerEntity.cpp. Other files are possible, too, but few good programmers would leave this definition in main.cpp. Unfortunately—well, actually fortunately—this will put you through several hours of the urgently necessary pain of learning separate compilation and linking.
Good luck.