Member Avatar for Lp_baez

I keep getting this error on a sample that a c++ book provides.

"

 **error C2660: 'std::vector<_Ty>::empty' : function does not take 1 arguments
    1>          with
    1>          [
    1>              _Ty=std::string
    1> **         ]

"
I have some suspicious what can be causing the error but I am not sure.
the code is:

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    vector<string> inventory;
    inventory.push_back("sword");
    inventory.push_back("armor");
    inventory.push_back("shield");

    cout << "You have " << inventory.size() << " items.\n";
    cout << "\nYour items:\n";
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < inventory.size(); ++i)
    {
        cout << inventory[i] << endl;
    }

    cout << "\nYou trade your sword for a battle axe.";
    inventory[0] = "battle axe";
    cout << "\nYour items:\n";
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < inventory.size(); ++i)
    {
        cout << inventory[i] << endl;
    }

    cout << "\nThe item name '" << inventory[0] << "' has ";
    cout << inventory[0].size() << " letters in it.\n";

    cout << "\nYour shield is destroyed in a fierce battle.";
    inventory.pop_back();
    cout << "\nYour items:\n";
    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < inventory.size(); ++i)
    {
        cout << inventory[i] << endl;
    }

    cout << "\nYou were robbed of all of your possessions by a thief.";
    inventory.clear();
    if (inventory.empty())
    {
        cout << "\nYou have nothing.\n";
    }
    else
    {
        cout << "\nYou have at least one item.\n";
    }

    return 0;
}
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Unimportant

Dani AI

Generated

Short summary for : the snippet shown in the first post is correct and will compile (as noted). The Visual C++ error C2660 means the compiler saw a call to std::vector<T>::empty with an argument — 's observation that the member takes no parameters is the immediate clue. This usually means the source the compiler is actually compiling is different from the sample, or a name/macro collision is changing what the compiler sees.

Useful checks to find the culprit:

  • Search the entire project for calls to .empty( (look for any call that passes an argument).
  • Search headers for a #define empty or other macros that could be interfering.
  • Verify the exact file being built (stale object files or a different source file with the same name can cause confusion).
  • On MSVC, produce preprocessed output to reveal macro expansions.

Example commands to run in the project root:

# Unix / Git Bash / WSL
grep -nR "\.empty\s*\(" .

# PowerShell (Windows)
Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Include *.cpp,*.h | Select-String -Pattern "\.empty\s*\(" -List

And to locate problematic macro defines:

grep -nR "#define\s\+empty\b" .

A quick fix is to remove the extraneous argument so the container method is invoked with no parameters; if the intent was to check whether an element string is empty, call empty() on that string element or test the container size. If a macro or an unfortunate header causes the collision, rename the macro or adjust include order and then do a full clean rebuild so no stale objects remain. The grep/preprocessor checks will point directly to the offending line for correction.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for Moschops

That code compiles without any problems. This suggests that the code you showed us is not the code you're trying to compile.

Member Avatar for Unimportant

Hey, the error is

vector.empty() doesn't take 1 argument

Edited by Unimportant
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