The type or namespace cannot be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)

Question

I get the following error when I try to compile my C# program:

The type or namespace name 'Login' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace FootballLeague
{
    public partial class MainMenu : Form
    {
    FootballLeagueDatabase footballLeagueDatabase;
    Game game;
    Team team;
    Login login; //Error here

    public MainMenu()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        changePanel(1);
    }

    public MainMenu(FootballLeagueDatabase footballLeagueDatabaseIn)
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        footballLeagueDatabase = footballLeagueDatabaseIn;
    }

    private void Form_Loaded(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
    }

    private void gameButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        int option = 0;
        changePanel(option);
    }
    private void scoreboardButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        int option = 1;
        changePanel(option);
    }
    private void changePanel(int optionIn)
    {
        gamePanel.Hide();
        scoreboardPanel.Hide();

        string title = "Football League System";

        switch (optionIn)
        {
            case 0:
                gamePanel.Show();
                this.Text = title + " - Game Menu";
                break;
            case 1:
                scoreboardPanel.Show();
                this.Text = title + " - Display Menu";
                break;
        }
    }

    private void logoutButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        login = new Login();
        login.Show();
        this.Hide();
    }

Login.cs class:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace FootballLeagueSystem
{
    public partial class Login : Form
    {
    MainMenu menu;
    public Login()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }

    private void administratorLoginButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        string username1 = "08247739";
        string password1 = "08247739";

        if ((userNameTxt.Text.Length) == 0)
            MessageBox.Show("Please enter your username!");
        else if ((passwordTxt.Text.Length) == 0)
            MessageBox.Show("Please enter your password!");
        else if (userNameTxt.Text.Equals("") || passwordTxt.Text.Equals(""))
            MessageBox.Show("Invalid Username or Password!");
        else
        {
            if (this.userNameTxt.Text == username1 && this.passwordTxt.Text == password1)
                MessageBox.Show("Welcome Administrator!", "Administrator Login");
            menu = new MainMenu();
            menu.Show();
            this.Hide();
        }
    }

    private void managerLoginButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        {
            string username2 = "1111";
            string password2 = "1111";

            if ((userNameTxt.Text.Length) == 0)
                MessageBox.Show("Please enter your username!");
            else if ((passwordTxt.Text.Length) == 0)
                MessageBox.Show("Please enter your password!");
            else if (userNameTxt.Text.Equals("") && passwordTxt.Text.Equals(""))
                MessageBox.Show("Invalid Username or Password!");
            else
            {
                if (this.userNameTxt.Text == username2 && this.passwordTxt.Text == password2)
                    MessageBox.Show("Welcome Manager!", "Manager Login");
                menu = new MainMenu();
                menu.Show();
                this.Hide();
            }
        }
    }

    private void cancelButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        this.Close();
    }

    }
}

Where is the error? What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

You don't have the namespace the Login class is in as a reference.

Add the following to the form that uses the Login class:

using FootballLeagueSystem;

When you want to use a class in another namespace, you have to tell the compiler where to find it. In this case, Login is inside the FootballLeagueSystem namespace, or : FootballLeagueSystem.Login is the fully qualified namespace.

As a commenter pointed out, you declare the Login class inside the FootballLeagueSystem namespace, but you're using it in the FootballLeague namespace.

Answer 2

I get this error when my project .net framework version does not match the framework version of the DLL I am linking to. In my case, I was getting:

"The type or namespace name 'UserVoice' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?).

UserVoice was .Net 4.0, and my project properties were set to ".Net 4.0 Client Profile". Changing to .Net 4.0 on the project cleared the error. I hope this helps someone.

Answer 3

You need to add the following line:

using FootballLeagueSystem;

into your all your classes (MainMenu.cs, programme.cs, etc.) that use Login.

At the moment the compiler can't find the Login class.

Answer 4

If you have Login in a seperate folder within your project make sure that where you are using it you do:

using FootballLeagueSystem.[Whatever folder you are using]

Answer 5

This error comes because compile does not know where to find the class..so it occurs mainly when u copy or import item ..to solve this .. 1.change the namespace in the formname.cs and formname.designer.cs to the name of your project .