returning a string from a class [C++]

[Armandur]

I create an object of the ring class named userRing. The user then proceeds to set the wire thickness and the innerdiameter and then the material. When I use the std::string type for the functions and class members, Visual Studio 2010 B2 gives me a shitload of errors. Why is this wrong?

main.cpp
[cpp]
#include "ring.h"

#include <iostream>

int main()
{
ring smallRing;

//ring medRing;
//ring bigRing;

ring userRing;

smallRing.innerDiam = 6;
smallRing.wireThick = 1.3;
smallRing.material = "Feathersteel";

/*medRing.innerDiam = 8;
medRing.wireThick = 1.3;

bigRing.innerDiam = 11;
bigRing.wireThick = 1.3;

std::cout << smallRing.aspectR() << "\t" <<
medRing.aspectR() << "\t" << bigRing.aspectR();

std::cout << "Input inner diameter:\t";
std::cin >> userRing.innerDiam;
std::cout << "\n" << "Input wire thickness:\t";
std::cin >> userRing.wireThick;
std::cout << "\n" << userRing.aspectR() << "\n";
*/

std::cout << smallRing.getMaterial() << "\n";

std::cin.ignore();
std::cin.get();

return 0;
}

[/cpp]

ring.h
[cpp]
#pragma once
#include <iostream>

class ring
{
public:
double innerDiam;
double wireThick;
/*STRINGTYPE*/std::string material;

double aspectR();
/*STRINGTYPE*/std::string getMaterial();
};

double ring::aspectR()
{
return innerDiam / wireThick;
}

/*STRINGTYPE*/std::string ring::getMaterial()
{
return material;
}
[/cpp]

[gparent]

Should we use our mind powers to guess the errors?

The only thing I'm seeing in 10 seconds of looking is that you're not including <string> in ring.h

[Armandur]

Holy shit. How could I've missed that?
Thanks.

[turby]

If it were up to me, I'd return a char*

[jA_cOp]

[QUOTE=turby;18893117]If it were up to me, I'd return a char*[/QUOTE]

Why would he use a pointer? Why would he make it mutable?

Why use a char*?

It's not like "If it were up to me" says anything about your reasoning.

[efeX]

[QUOTE=turby;18893117]If it were up to me, I'd return a char*[/QUOTE]

don't troll