When seperating class file into .h and .cpp file how can I define it in the main file by including the .h file?

Question

So I'm implementing a simple test class and such I'm separating files into: compte.h:

#ifndef COMPTE_H
#define COMPTE_H
#include <iostream>
class compte
{
public:
    static int n;
    int numCompte;
    char* nom;
    double solde;
public:
    compte(const char* = NULL, const double & = 0);
    ~compte();
};

and a compte.cpp

#include <iostream>
#include <cstring>
#include "compte.h"
using namespace std;

int compte::n = 1000;
    
compte::compte(const char* nom, const double &solde)
{
    this->solde = solde;
    this->nom = new char[strlen(nom)];
    strcpy(this->nom, nom);

    numCompte = n++;
}
compte::~compte()
{
    delete[] nom;
}

however, when I include compte.h I get an unidentified reference to the member methods of the class, when I include compte.cpp it works, I just want to know what I can add to include the.h file instead of.cpp

Answer 1

Your header file compte.h is missing an #endif in the end.

#ifndef COMPTE_H
#define COMPTE_H
#include <iostream>
class compte
{
public:
    static int n;
    int numCompte;
    char* nom;
    double solde;
public:
    compte(const char* = NULL, const double & = 0);
    ~compte();
};

#endif

This is a sample of main file you can test with

#include "compte.h"
#include <memory>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
    unique_ptr<compte> account = make_unique<compte>("account", 100);
    cout << account->solde; 
}

Compile and run:

g++ compte.h compte.cpp main.cpp -o main.exe

./main.exe

Answer 2

as a rule of thumb do NOT include *.c or *.cpp. You should include only headers of f. (and classes for C++), since the extension: "headers"

including *.ccp may work, if you include it ONCE in only one other file (in you example near main()), but it can lead to duplication of identifiers, as including in 2 files, will produce TWO source code (work dine by preprocessor) so TWO functions (classes...) code, so link will complain about it.