Q32776: C2085 Error May Be the Result of a Missing Semicolon

Article: Q32776
Product(s): See article
Version(s): 5.00 5.10 6.00 6.00a | 5.10 6.00 6.00a
Operating System(s): MS-DOS | OS/2
Keyword(s): ENDUSER | s_quickc | mspl13_c
Last Modified: 6-FEB-1991

The compiler error "C2085 'identifier': not in formal parameter list"
can occur when a semicolon (;) is missing at the end of a function
prototype.

The following program demonstrates this error:

void foo(void)

void main(void)
{
}

When this code is compiled, the following errors occur:

   error C2085: 'main' : not in formal parameter list
   error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '{'

The C2085 error normally means that the listed parameter was declared
in a function definition for a nonexistent formal parameter, but it's
misleading in this case. With no semicolon to mark the end of the
prototype, the compiler interprets the prototype as the start of a
function definition, and interprets the next line to follow the
prototype as if it were the first declaration within a function
definition.

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