Don't understand error "... which is of non-class type 'SPIbase ()()'"

Projects Programming
1

I have a problem understanding the error message:
SPItest1:11: error: request for member 'begin' in 'spiTest', which is of non-class type 'SPIbase ()()'
I am just beginning to write this library routine and wanted to check for errors before I got too far.
The sketch is:

/*

*/

#include "SPIbase.h"

SPIbase spiTest();

void  setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  spiTest.begin(6);
}

void  loop()
{
  bool fr = spiTest.SPIisFree(spiTest);
}

The library header file is:

#ifndef SPIBASE_H
#define SPIBASE_H

#include "Arduino.h"

typedef struct {
	unsigned char ssPin;
	unsigned char buffer[11];
}
SPIparams_t;

class SPIbase
{
	SPIparams_t SPIparams;
	
public:	
	SPIbase();
	void	begin(unsigned char pin);
	bool	SPIisFree(SPIbase *client);
	void	SPIsetFree(SPIbase *client);
};

#endif

The cpp file is:

#include "SPIbase.h"
#include <avr/interrupt.h>

volatile SPIbase *basePtr;

SPIbase::SPIbase()
{
}

void	SPIbase::begin(unsigned char pin)
{
	SPIparams.ssPin = pin;
}

bool	SPIbase::SPIisFree(SPIbase *client)
{
	if (!basePtr) {
		basePtr = client;
		return true;
	} else return basePtr == client;
}

void	SPIbase::SPIsetFree(SPIbase *client)
{
	if (basePtr == client) basePtr = 0;
}

What is wrong?

2 
SPIbase spiTest();

Lose the parentheses.

3

Thanks Paul. I don't know why I put them in but I didn't notice them.

4

Wait a sec.. If a constructor has no passing variables, you -can't- call it with parentheses?

'Cause I just ran into the same thing tonight. Drove me batty!

-jim lee

5

If a constructor has no passing variables, you -can't- call it with parentheses?

That's right. You don't invoke the constructor directly. You create an instance of the class, and the compiler invokes the constructor. It is an error to (try to) call the constructor directly.

6

Thanks PaulS for your solution.
You have solved my problem.