Error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '<class-head>' in struct

Question

When I compile this code:

#include <stdio.h>
void main() {
int n, i, total=0;
printf("Enter the number of employees");
scanf("%d", &n);

struct emprecord
{
    int salary, total;
    char name[50];
};
struct emprecord emp[50];
for (i=0; i<n; i++) {
    printf("Enter the name of employee %d", i+1);
    scanf("%s", &emp[i].name);
    printf("Enter the salary of employee %d", i+1);
    scanf("%d", &emp[i].salary);
    total=total+emp[i].salary;
}
printf("Total salary is: %d", total);
}

I get the following errors and I am assuming all will be fixed once the first one is resolved:

C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(8) : error C2143:
syntax error : missing ';' before ''
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(10) : error C2143:
syntax error : missing ';' before 'type'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(12) : error C2133: 'emp' : unknown size
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(13) : error C2059: syntax error : 'for'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(13) : error C2143:
syntax error : missing '{' before '<'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(13) : error C2059: syntax error : '<'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(13) : error C2143:
syntax error : missing '{' before '++'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(13) : error C2059: syntax error : '++'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(13) : error C2059: syntax error : ')'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(20) : error C2143:
syntax error : missing ')' before 'string'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(20) : error C2143:
syntax error : missing '{' before 'string'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(20) : error C2059: syntax error : ''
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(20) : error C2059: syntax error : ')'
C:\\Users\\shihab130489\\Documents\\Cpp18888r6u54ru.c(21) : error C2059: syntax error : '}'

Can someone please help with the first error? I am unable to understand what the issue is.

Answer 1

The Microsoft C compiler (prior to VS2013 , it seems) only accepts C89/C90, and that only allows type and variable definitions before any executable statements in a function. You are trying to declare the structures after some executable statements. That's valid in C++, and C99 and C11, but not in C90.

Hence:

#include <stdio.h>
int main(void)
{
    int n, i, total = 0;
    struct emprecord
    {
        int salary, total;
        char name[50];
    };
    struct emprecord emp[50];
    printf("Enter the number of employees");
    if (scanf("%d", &n) != 1)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "Did not read a number successfully\n");
        return 1;
    }
    if (n <= 0 || n > 50)
    {
        fprintf(stderr, "Error: you entered %d but it should be in the range 1..50\n", n);
        return 1;
    }

    for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
    {
        printf("Enter the name of employee %d", i+1);
        if (scanf("%s", &emp[i].name) != 1)
            break;  // Sloppy but effective
        printf("Enter the salary of employee %d", i+1);
        if (scanf("%d", &emp[i].salary) != 1)
            break;  // Sloppy but effective
        total += emp[i].salary;
    }
    printf("Total salary is: %d\n", total);
    return 0;
}

It's cruel to make people enter names when you're only interested in the salary.

Answer 2

It is better to position the struct definition before main.

But, there is no error when I use gcc 4.5.1