A function-definition is not allowed here before '{'

Question

i am getting a REALLY annoying error. i literally looked everywhere for it! i even went back and changed all of my

if (case)
    // to-do

<

Answer 1

If you use an auto-indenting code editor (and if you don't, why not?), it would immediately show you where the unbalanced braces are. (Assuming, of course, that it's smart enough to recognize the // ...\ as a multi-line comment :-)

Answer 2

    image_buffer_ = NULL; // just set it to null if it doesn't :\
}

Here's a hint: what do you think the escape character \ does to the newline at the end of that line?

Yes, that's right, it escapes it, effectively bringing the closing brace on the next line into the comment.

Hence, you're missing a closing brace.

Maybe you should keep your emotions out of the code :-)

Answer 3

  image_buffer_ = NULL; // just set it to null if it doesn't :\
}

Placing a backslash at the end of a line splices it with the line that follows, which, effectively, comments out the closing bracket in your function.

Answer 4

Watch this line:

  image_buffer_ = NULL; // just set it to null if it doesn't :\

This begins a multi-line comment, commenting out the following:

}

Your compiler should warn you about this.

Remove the \ and then you can move on to the rest of your warnings and errors!