Function and Class errors - c++

Question

class BufferFile{
public:
BufferFile(IOBuffer &);
int Open(char *);
int Create(char *);
int Close();
int Rewind();
int Read(int recaddr = -1);
int Write(int recaddr = -1);
int Append();
IOBuffer & GetBuffer();
protected:
IOBuffer & Buffer;
std::fstream File;
int HeaderSize;
int ReadHeader();
int WriteHeader();
};
BufferFile::BufferFile(IOBuffer & from):Buffer(from){}
int BufferFile::Read(int recaddr){
if(recaddr==1) return Buffer.Write(File);
else return Buffer.DWrite(File, recaddr);
}
int BufferFile::Append(){
File.seekp(0,std::ios::end);
return Buffer.Write(File);
}
IOBuffer & BufferFile::GetBuffer(){
return Buffer;
}
int BufferFile::ReadHeader(){
return Buffer.ReadHeader(File);
}
int BufferFile::WriteHeader(){
return Buffer.WriteHeader(File);
}
I am getting several errors form the IOBuffer field, saying that it was not declared in the function scopes or "expected `)' before ‘&’ token" on the constructor, what is causing these?
Here are all the files involved in this project:
Person.h!
Buffile.cpp
BuffFile.h
Delim.cpp
Delim.h
Fixfld.cpp
Fixfld.h
FixLen.cpp
FixLen.h
Iobuffer.cpp
Iobuffer.h
Length.cpp
Length.h
Varlen.cpp
Varlen.h

Answer 1

I think your problem is this (from Buffile.h):
#ifndef IOBUFFER
#define IOBUFFER
#include "Iobuffer.h"
#endif
... that logic breaks the similar/redundant logic that you have in Iobuffer.h:
#ifndef IOBUFFER
#define IOBUFFER
class IOBuffer{
[...]
#endif
The problem is that the declaration of "class IOBuffer" in Iobuffer.h is never parsed, because the compiler value IOBUFFER was already defined inside Buffile.h, and thus the #ifndef IOBUFFER at the top of Iobuffer.h is not activated.
The right way to do it is to modify Buffile.h to include only the #include "Iobuffer.h" line, and leave it up to the contents of Iobuffer.h to do the #ifndef and #define stuff.