Missing guiddef.h in project - c++

Question

I am new to Visual C++.
I am trying to use library A that in turn uses another library B. When I try to include the header of A, I get an "Error C2061: syntax error : identifier 'GUID'". This error is triggered in a header in library B. When I examine the line that throws the error, the issue is that the header in library B is using a definition found in Guiddef.h, which is a microsoft header.
The problem is that I can't seem to be able to add this header or to create a project that adds it.
I am using Visual Studio 2010 Premium.
Any ideas of what I am doing wrong?

Answer 1

Don't know what you mean by add it to a project or create one that adds it ,but when guiddef.h is on your system and your directories (in common properties) to your MSVC environment are correctly setup ,you just have to add #include <guiddef.h> before the including of lib-headerfiles to your cpp or h files and everything will (should) be fine.

Answer 2

guiddef.h is part of the Windows SDK. If you have VS 2010 Express the SDK is not included, you'll need to download it separately.
If you're using a VS SKU that's 'above' Express, the SDK should already be installed (I'm not sure if you can deselect it or not when in stalling). By default it'll go into:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.0A\
The "Visual Studio Command Prompt" shortcuts that VS installs should set the INCLUDE environment variable appropriately. And a default C++ project should also have the include path setup appropriately, but it can be changed in the project's "VC++ Directories" property (you should check that). If you have a per-project setting here that is wrong, change it there.
However, if your 'IDE-wide' VC++ Directories properties that are inherited by every (or at least most) C++ projects is messed up, follow the instructions on this blog article to fix the global VC++ Directories settings in VS 2010:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/vsproject/archive/2009/07/07/vc-directories.aspx
Specifically:
If you open up the Property Manager view to see the property sheets associated with your project, you’ll see that one of the property sheets is named Microsoft.Cpp.Win32.User. This property sheet is actually stored in LocalAppData, just as VCComponents.dat file was, in the directory %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0. Using the property editor on the property sheet (just right-click on this property sheet node and select Properties...), you can see that you are able to make edits directly to this file. Since all projects, by default, import this property sheet, you are effectively editing the VC++ directories in the same way you were able to do before.

Answer 3

It's possible (though not necessarily true) that you need to include a library as a linker dependency. I'm assuming here that you're already using #include (and have the correct case, with a lowercase 'g')
My suggestion:
Open up the project that has the
header included
open the 'project' menu, and select
'properties'
Under 'configuration properties'
select 'linker'
under 'linker' select 'input'
take a peek at the 'additional
dependencies' field (right at the
top on the right hand side). You
may see some libraries listed there.
Make a note of any libraries
included as dependencies, and repeat
these steps in your 'broken'
project. Add the appropriate libraries to the 'broken' project, if needeed.
You probably don't need the same dependencies in both projects, but if you do need to link a library in the borked project, you should be able to narrow down which one it is you need and include it in the dependency list.
Hope that helps, or at least doesn't steer you too far off course!
edit:
Actually, for some of the headers in the windows API, you might not be able to include them 'alone' (I'm not sure if guiddef.h is one of them), but they should be included as a sub-header of windows.h.