Unknown Storage Size Error for union semun

[kvnsmnsn]

I'm taking a class on Internet Programming, and the lab I'm currently
working on requires us to use threads and semaphores. I'm looking at
a slide from that class titled "Unix Semaphore Code" that says:

[] Creation
o union semun arguments;
o key_t key = 1;
o int flags = 0777 | IPC_CREAT;
o int semid = semget(key, 1, flags);
o argument.val = initialvalue;
o semctl(semid, 0, SETVAL, argument);
[] Destruction
o int ignored_int;
o union semun ignored;
o semctl(semid, ignored_int, IPC_RMID, ignored);

I wanted to create an array of two semaphores, so I wrote the follow-
ing <main> function:

int main ( int argCount
, char** arguments)
{
pthread_t Write[ 2];
union semun argument; <=================
key_t key = 1;
int flags = 0700 | IPC_CREAT;
int before[ 2];
int pairs[ 2][ 2];
int result;
int parity;
int end;
printf( "Before creation of semaphores.\n");
for (parity = EVEN; parity <= ODD; parity++)
{ before[ parity] = semget( key, 1, flags);
argument.val = parity;
semctl( before[ parity], 0, SETVAL, argument);
}
...

But when I try to compile it I get the error message
"CountSharer.c:44: error: storage size of 'argument' isn't known".
Line 44 is the line my arrow is pointing to up above. The slide up
above is the only reference to <union semun> that I know of. Does
anyone know what I need to do to my <argument> variable to keep this
error from occurring?

---Kevin Simonson

"You'll never get to heaven, or even to LA,
if you don't believe there's a way."
from _Why Not_

 

[Malcolm McLean]

I'm taking a class on Internet Programming, and the lab I'm currently
working on requires us to use threads and semaphores. I'm looking at
a slide from that class titled "Unix Semaphore Code" that says:

[] Creation
o union semun arguments;
o key_t key = 1;
o int flags = 0777 | IPC_CREAT;
o int semid = semget(key, 1, flags);
o argument.val = initialvalue;
o semctl(semid, 0, SETVAL, argument);
[] Destruction
o int ignored_int;
o union semun ignored;
o semctl(semid, ignored_int, IPC_RMID, ignored);

I wanted to create an array of two semaphores, so I wrote the follow-
ing <main> function:

int main ( int argCount
, char** arguments)
{
pthread_t Write[ 2];
union semun argument; <=================
key_t key = 1;
int flags = 0700 | IPC_CREAT;
int before[ 2];
int pairs[ 2][ 2];
int result;
int parity;
int end;
printf( "Before creation of semaphores.\n");
for (parity = EVEN; parity <= ODD; parity++)
{ before[ parity] = semget( key, 1, flags);
argument.val = parity;
semctl( before[ parity], 0, SETVAL, argument);
}
...

But when I try to compile it I get the error message
"CountSharer.c:44: error: storage size of 'argument' isn't known".
Line 44 is the line my arrow is pointing to up above. The slide up
above is the only reference to <union semun> that I know of. Does
anyone know what I need to do to my <argument> variable to keep this
error from occurring?

The error message isn't too helpful.
The compiler doesn't know what a union senum is because you haven't include
the header that defines it.

 

[Joachim Schmitz]

I'm taking a class on Internet Programming, and the lab I'm currently
working on requires us to use threads and semaphores. I'm looking at
a slide from that class titled "Unix Semaphore Code" that says:

[] Creation
o union semun arguments;
o key_t key = 1;
o int flags = 0777 | IPC_CREAT;
o int semid = semget(key, 1, flags);
o argument.val = initialvalue;
o semctl(semid, 0, SETVAL, argument);
[] Destruction
o int ignored_int;
o union semun ignored;
o semctl(semid, ignored_int, IPC_RMID, ignored);

I wanted to create an array of two semaphores, so I wrote the follow-
ing <main> function:

int main ( int argCount
, char** arguments)
{
pthread_t Write[ 2];
union semun argument; <=================
key_t key = 1;
int flags = 0700 | IPC_CREAT;
int before[ 2];
int pairs[ 2][ 2];
int result;
int parity;
int end;
printf( "Before creation of semaphores.\n");
for (parity = EVEN; parity <= ODD; parity++)
{ before[ parity] = semget( key, 1, flags);
argument.val = parity;
semctl( before[ parity], 0, SETVAL, argument);
}
...

But when I try to compile it I get the error message
"CountSharer.c:44: error: storage size of 'argument' isn't known".
Line 44 is the line my arrow is pointing to up above. The slide up
above is the only reference to <union semun> that I know of. Does
anyone know what I need to do to my <argument> variable to keep this
error from occurring?

You need to "#include <sys/sem.h>", which has the definition of union semun
as well as the prototypes for semctl(). You also need to to "#include
<stdio.h>" to introduce the prototype of printf to your compiler, do avoid
undefined behavoir.

Bye, Jojo

 

[Ben Bacarisse]

I'm taking a class on Internet Programming, and the lab I'm currently
working on requires us to use threads and semaphores.

You need to post in another group. A good string point might be
comp.unix.programmer (standard C is the topic here).

union semun argument; <=================

But when I try to compile it I get the error message
"CountSharer.c:44: error: storage size of 'argument' isn't known".

There is germ of a topical question here in that these errors usually
mean you have forgotten to #include some header file that defines the
types you are using.

However, what header files you might have forgotten and how to use
them is matter to comp.unix.programmer.

 

[Keith Thompson]

I wanted to create an array of two semaphores, so I wrote the follow-
ing <main> function:

int main ( int argCount
, char** arguments)
{

[...]

Others have pointed out the missing #include directives. But your use
of the names 'argCount' and 'arguments' is, in my opinion, poor style.
It's perfectly legal to call the arguments to main() anything you
like, but universal convention is to call them 'argc' and 'argv'. By
using different names, you make your code harder to read.

 

[Joachim Schmitz]

I'm taking a class on Internet Programming, and the lab I'm currently
working on requires us to use threads and semaphores. I'm looking at
a slide from that class titled "Unix Semaphore Code" that says:

[] Creation
o union semun arguments;
o key_t key = 1;
o int flags = 0777 | IPC_CREAT;
o int semid = semget(key, 1, flags);
o argument.val = initialvalue;
o semctl(semid, 0, SETVAL, argument);
[] Destruction
o int ignored_int;
o union semun ignored;
o semctl(semid, ignored_int, IPC_RMID, ignored);

I wanted to create an array of two semaphores, so I wrote the follow-
ing <main> function:

int main ( int argCount
, char** arguments)
{
pthread_t Write[ 2];
union semun argument; <=================
key_t key = 1;
int flags = 0700 | IPC_CREAT;
int before[ 2];
int pairs[ 2][ 2];
int result;
int parity;
int end;
printf( "Before creation of semaphores.\n");
for (parity = EVEN; parity <= ODD; parity++)
{ before[ parity] = semget( key, 1, flags);
argument.val = parity;
semctl( before[ parity], 0, SETVAL, argument);
}
...

But when I try to compile it I get the error message
"CountSharer.c:44: error: storage size of 'argument' isn't known".
Line 44 is the line my arrow is pointing to up above. The slide up
above is the only reference to <union semun> that I know of. Does
anyone know what I need to do to my <argument> variable to keep this
error from occurring?

You need to "#include <sys/sem.h>", which has the definition of union
semun as well as the prototypes for semctl(). You also need to to
"#include <stdio.h>" to introduce the prototype of printf to your
compiler, do avoid undefined behavoir.

A 2nd check revealed the following comment in my system's sem.h:
/* Applications must declare the fourth argument for semctl themselves
* (if it is needed). A standard recommendation for the declaration is
*
* union semun {
* int val;
* struct semid_ds *buf;
* unsigned short int *array;
* };
*/
So you'd have to declare that union yourself. The manual page for semctl
says the same, so check your system's documentation.

Bye, Jojo