How to fix "a parameter list without types is only allowed in a function definition"

I am trying to create a function that would take a name(string) that has been input by a user and compare it with a string within a custom data type/structure to verify that the name that the user has input exists in the memory.

The custom data type is set to be global and is as follows:

// Max number of candidates
#define MAX 9

// Candidates have name and vote count
typedef struct
{
    string name;
    int votes;
}
candidate;

// Array of candidates
candidate candidates[MAX];

The names of the different candidates are stored in the array candidates via a command line argument.

After that the user is prompted to vote for a candidate by inserting the name of a candiate using:
string name = get_string("Vote: ");

which is then taken to this function to verify whether the candidate’s name exists or not.

Here is the function:

bool vote(string name)
{
    // TODO
    int i;
    string cn = candidates[i].name;
    for (i = 1; i < MAX; i++)
    {
        int strcmp(cn, name);
    }

    return strcmp;
}

However, I am not sure what the error means:

a parameter list without types is only allowed in a function definition
        int strcmp(cn, name);
                   ^

How can I fix this?

>Solution :

The strcmp() compares two strings character by character.

If the strings are equal, the function returns 0.

A simple way to use strcmp:

int returnValue = strcmp(cn, name);
if (returnValue == 0) {
    // string matched, so this name exists
}

Please check below 2 links to learn more about strcmp()

• C strcmp()
• strcmp() in C/C++

Another mistake to mention, you tried to access the ith candidate’s name from outside the loop.

You need to do it from inside.

For example:

for(int i = 0; i < MAX; i++) {
    string cn = candidates[i].name;
}