making a makefile for a template class

Question

So I have couple of files that I want to compile together. One of them is stack.h with stack.cpp included. The following is my header file: ``` #include #ifndef STACK_H #define STACK_H template class StackType { public: //code private: //code }; #include "stack.cpp" #endif ``` The following is stack.cpp: ``` #include "stack.h" #include using namespace std; template StackType::StackType(){ top = -1; MAX_ITEMS = 200; } //other codes } ``` When I make it says that I am redefining the code in stack.cpp The following is my Makefile: ``` main.o: main.cpp stack.h g++ $(CFLAGS) -c -o main.o main.cpp stack.o: stack.cpp stack.h g++ $(CFLAGS) -c -o stack.o stack.cpp ``` I don't see what the problem is.

Accepted Answer

You should not attempt to compile a `stack.o`. This is template code that needs to be included in the client code and cannot be built. Just add the `stack.cpp` dependency to the `main.o` rule (assuming main.cpp includes `stack.h`, and remove the `stack.o` rule:

```
main.o: main.cpp stack.h stack.cpp
    g++ $(CFLAGS) -c -o main.o main.cpp
```

You have a further problem, and that is that you include `stack.h` in `stack.cpp`, and vice versa. You should remove the `#include stack.h` from `stack.cpp`.

Since template code should not be compiled by itself, I suggest changing the suffix of `stack.cpp` to something else, such as `.icpp`.

making a makefile for a template class

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