Undefined reference for a static QStringList

Question

So, I want to create a "recent files" section in the "File menu" of my spreadsheet application. While building the application, the function that is supposed to update the recentFileActions QStringList generates the following error/home/axel/QtSDK/Code/QMainWindow/mainwindow.cpp:-1: error: undefined reference to 'MainWindow::recentFiles'

So from the error I get that recentFiles isn't defined? Because I have this in the private section of my header: QStringList static recentFiles;

This is the whole updateRecentFileActions() function:

void MainWindow::updateRecentFileActions(){ QMutableStringListIterator i(recentFiles); while (i.hasNext()) { if (!QFile::exists(i.next())) i.remove(); } for (int j = 0; j < MaxRecentFiles; ++j) { if (j < recentFiles.count()) { QString text = tr("&%1 %2") .arg(j + 1) .arg(strippedName(recentFiles[j])); recentFileActions[j]->setText(text); recentFileActions[j]->setData(recentFiles[j]); recentFileActions[j]->setVisible(true); } else { recentFileActions[j]->setVisible(false); } } separatorAction->setVisible(!recentFiles.isEmpty()); }

I'll add any missing information.

Thank you.

BЈовић · Accepted Answer · 2012-03-10 20:36:32Z

5

QStringList static recentFiles;

That is only declaration. You need to define the static variable in the source file :

QStringList MainWindow::recentFiles;

If you do not understand why you need to do it, take a look into See this faq item.

edited Mar 10, 2012 at 20:36

answered Mar 10, 2012 at 20:26

BЈовић

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3 Comments

Axel Over a year ago

You mean that I need to paste QStringList MainWindow::recentFiles; somewhere in the .cpp? or that I need to change QStringList static recentFiles; for QStringList MainWindow::recentFiles;? Because if I try to add QStringList MainWindow::recentFiles; to either the constructor in my .cpp or in the function that is creating the issue I get a invalid use of qualified name error :(.... Sorry I'm new to c++

BЈовић Over a year ago

@Axel If you declared that member variable static in the header, then you need to define in the source (.cpp) file. If you do not declare is static, then you do not need to do it. See faq 10.12

Axel Over a year ago

Ideally I would want to declare recentFiles as static, which would mean that I need to define it in the .cpp. In order to define recentFiles, I guess that i need to copy QStringList MainWindow::recentFiles; somewhere in the .cpp?

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