Knowledge Base

PRB: Error CXX0017 or CXX0034 for typedef

Article ID: 119501

Article Last Modified on 12/2/2003

The Visual Workbench Integrated Debugger, when used with:
- Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2.0 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2.1
- Microsoft Visual C++ 4.0 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 Professional Edition

This article was previously published under Q119501

SYMPTOMS

Declare a structure type and typedef a pointer to the structure type as follows:

   struct MYSTRUCT {
      int x;
      int y;
   };

   typedef struct MYSTRUCT* PMYSTRUCT;

MYSTRUCT is a structure type and PMYSTRUCT is a typedef for a pointer to MYSTRUCT. Declare and initialize the following variables:

   struct MYSTRUCT var1 = {0, 0};
   PMYSTRUCT var2 = &var1;

Putting a watch on "(PMYSTRUCT) &var2" produces the following error:

Visual C++ 1.0 and 4.0

CXX0017: Error: symbol 'PMYSTRUCT' not found

Visual C++ 2.x

CXX0034: Error: types incompatable with operator

However, putting a watch on "(MYSTRUCT *) &var2" is successful.

CAUSE

The typedef declares a new name for a type, but it does not define a new type. The typecast attempted in the debugger requires the name of a defined type.

RESOLUTION

Use the defined type in the typecast, rather than using the name declared with the typedef.

Keywords: kbbug kbide kbdebug kbprb KB119501