accesibility.....

seymour_glass · October 22nd, 2007, 07:54 PM

OK while I understand this is not a complete program, Im just trying to read an expression from a file and the pop each letter of the expression onto a stack. This code, however, does not compile saying that :

'prefix.infix.GetLine()': not all code paths return a value

AND

: The type or namespace name 's1' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)

S1 contains the string when I run it without the stack implementation, and I think that somehow it cannot "see" s1.

ANY HELP PLEASE?
***CODE BELOW****

Code:

public class Class1
    {
        /// The main entry point for the application.

        [STAThread]
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string userChoice;
            //string s1;
            Stack myStack = new Stack();

            GetLine();

            for(int i=0 ; i<s1.Length; i++)
            {
                myStack.Push(s1.Substring(i, 1));
            }

            //Console.WriteLine("Would you like to convert this expression to:  \n1. prefix \n2. postfix \n3. infix");
            //userChoice = Console.ReadLine();    
        }

        public string GetLine()
        {
            string s1;
            try 
            {
                // Create an instance of StreamReader to read from a file
                using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("expression test.txt")) 
                {
                    if(sr.Peek() != -1)
                    {
                        s1 = sr.ReadLine();
                        return s1;
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e) 
            {
                // Let the user know what went wrong.
                Console.WriteLine("The file could not be read:");
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }
        }

    }

dparsons · October 22nd, 2007, 08:57 PM

As Holems said to Watson "It's elementary". ;]

Ok. The reason that you are getting your first error (not all code paths return a value) is because all code paths don't return a value. Simply put, all functions MUST return a value even if it is: return null; but, move so, your code must return a value through all possible branches of your code.

So in this code
public string GetLine()
        {
            string s1;
            try
            {
                // Create an instance of StreamReader to read from a file
                using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("expression test.txt"))
                {
                    if(sr.Peek() != -1)
                    {
                        s1 = sr.ReadLine();
                        return s1;
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                // Let the user know what went wrong.
                Console.WriteLine("The file could not be read:");
                Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
            }
        }
you have a conditional statement (your if) that may or may not execute but, consider that the if doesn't execute and there is no error, code execution will continue to the end of your function and never find a return value. Moveover, if your if DOES execute but an execption is thrown inside the if, the return value will be missed, code execution will pass to your catch and, again, will flow to the end of the function without having a value returned.

So you will want to modifiy your code to be something like:
public string GetLine()
        {
            try
            {
                // Create an instance of StreamReader to read from a file
                using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("expression test.txt"))
                {
                    if(sr.Peek() != -1)
                    {
                        return sr.ReadLine();
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                // Let the user know what went wrong.
                //Console.WriteLine("The file could not be read:");
                //Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
                return e.Message.ToString();
            }
         return null;
        }

if you seriously want to write an exception out to the console you might want to do so as an out parameter such as:

...
int ErrorCode;
string foo = GetLine(out ErrorCode);

if(ErrorCode == 1){Console.WriteLine(foo);}
else if(ErrorCode == -1)(Console.WriteLine("No Data Returned!");}
...

public string GetLine(out int ErrorCode)
        {
            ErrorCode = 0;
            try
            {
                // Create an instance of StreamReader to read from a file
                using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("expression test.txt"))
                {
                    if(sr.Peek() != -1)
                    {
                        return sr.ReadLine();
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e)
            {
                // Let the user know what went wrong.
                //Console.WriteLine("The file could not be read:");
                //Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
                ErrorCode = 1;
                return e.Message.ToString();
            }
         ErrorCode = -1;
         return null;
        }

so ya, you should be good to go!

hth

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seymour_glass · October 22nd, 2007, 11:04 PM

the problem with that is that I need to keep the readline from the streamwriter in a variable so that I can use it later. Essentially what I am doing is the shunting yard thing. Gotta read an expression from a file (( 3+2)*4 for example) and convert it to prefix and postfix notations. Also If you have any good links that might help me in that aspect, It would be appreciated.

planoie · October 23rd, 2007, 07:23 AM

Why are you not utilizing the return value from the method?

You should have something like this:

            string s1;
            Stack myStack = new Stack();

            s1 = GetLine();

-Peter

seymour_glass · October 23rd, 2007, 11:49 PM

Point taken, by both of you. I think that planoies recommendation will fix the problem while allowing me to do what I want with the returned string. However I still cannot get the GetLine method to compile. I've changed the method to ensure (as far as I know) that a value is returned either way, yet I am getting the same message. I am getting another error stating that I am missing an object reference for the nonstatic field, property or method. Maybe that helps? I think that if I can finally get to where I can start storing my chars onto a stack I will be ok.

Code:

public class Class1
    {
        /// The main entry point for the application.

        [STAThread]
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string userChoice;
            //string s1;
            Stack myStack = new Stack();

            string s1 = GetLine();

            for(int i=0 ; i<s1.Length; i++)
            {
                myStack.Push(s1.Substring(i, 1));
            }

            //Console.WriteLine("Would you like to convert this expression to:  \n1. prefix \n2. postfix \n3. infix");
            //userChoice = Console.ReadLine();    
        }

        public string GetLine()
        {
            try 
            {
                // Create an instance of StreamReader to read from a file
                using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("expression test.txt")) 
                {
                    if(sr.Peek() != -1)
                    {
                        return sr.ReadLine();
                    }
                    else
                    {    
                        Console.WriteLine("End of File.");
                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception e) 
            {
                // Let the user know what went wrong.
                //Console.WriteLine("The file could not be read:");
                //Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
                return e.Message.ToString();
            }
        }

    }

seymour_glass · October 24th, 2007, 12:00 AM

Ok, sorry about the double post. I've got the returning a value thing fixed. However I dont understand the issue with:

: An object reference is required for the nonstatic field, method, or property 'Prog1.Class1.GetLine()'

Seymour.

seymour_glass · October 24th, 2007, 12:08 AM

.........I apologize. I fixed it just moments later.

making my method static makes it compile and I have checked to see that my stack is operating properly and all that.

Why do I need this to be static to compile? If I didn't want it to be static what might I have done?
Sorry, Im a relatively new programmer(if I can even be deemed such)

Seymour

joefawcett · October 24th, 2007, 02:43 AM

static means shared amongst all classes so you can call using

Code:

Class1.GetLine();

. Non-static means you need an instance of the class, so

Code:

Class1 myInstance = new Class1();
myInstance.GetLine();

You need to read some basic C# tutorials.

--

Joe (Microsoft MVP - XML)

planoie · October 24th, 2007, 10:34 AM

Seymour,

A console app has a static main method as required by the framework to serve as the entry point to the application.

Often when creating a console app this technique will be used:

Code:

public class Class1
    {
        /// The main entry point for the application.

        [STAThread]
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            new Class1().Run(args);
        }

        public void Run(string[] args)
        {
            //do actual program logic here
        }
    }

This way you have an instantiated class in which to actually run your program. You then don't need to make anything static to be functional.

-Peter

seymour_glass · October 25th, 2007, 12:14 AM

Ok, my current problem is that in my switch statement I have having trouble with "implicitly trying to convert one type to another". at first I made a char that was equal to myStack.Pop to switch off. (Converting char to str). Then I just used to pop statement to switch off, unsure if that would work either. Can I get a suggestion? I do not understand why the value popped off the stack is assumed to be a string? A char would seem more likely.

anyways, the error that using the pop statement that i get is

: A value of an integral type expected

Also, this is part of a program designed to convert infix to prefix or postfix notation and vice versa... maybe that will provide a little insight as to my intentions.......
Help please?

Code:

while(myStack.Count != 0)
            {
                switch(myStack.Pop())
                {
                    case "+":

                        if(operatorStack.Peek() == "*")
                        {
                            //lowerPrecedence = true;
                            strPostfix += operatorStack.Pop();
                        }
                        else if(operatorStack.Peek() == "/")
                        {
                            strPostfix += operatorStack.Pop();
                        }
                        else
                            operatorStack.Push(myStack.Pop());
                        break;

                    case "-":
                        if(operatorStack.Peek() == "*")
                        {
                            //lowerPrecedence = true;
                            strPostfix += operatorStack.Pop();
                        }
                        else if(operatorStack.Peek() == "/")
                        {
                            strPostfix += operatorStack.Pop();
                        }
                        else
                            operatorStack.Push(myStack.Pop());
                        break;

                    case "/":
                        //code
                        break;

                    case "*":
                        //code
                        break;

                    case "1":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "2":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "3":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "4":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "5":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "6":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "7":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "8":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "9":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                    case "0":
                        strPostfix += myStack.Pop();
                        break;

                }
            }