My C++ class is having trouble linking to a function in another .cpp file

Question

I asked the same question yesterday and the answer was not applicable.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6194578/breaking-up-class-functions-into-multiple-cpp-files

Answer 1

inline means that the function effectively has internal linkage (that is, it must exist inside the translation unit where it is used). Either move the definition of the function into the header, or remove inline.

(inline for modern compilers really means "use internal linkage" -- compilers will inline where it makes sense to by themselves, and they typically make better decisions than humans)

EDIT: Technically speaking, the language the standard uses here says that inline functions have external linkage; however, it also says An inline function shall be defined in every translation unit in which it is used. in section 3.2 paragraph #3 of the standard, and also There can be more than one definition of a ... inline function with external linkage (7.1.2) ... Given such an entity named D defined in more than one translation unit ... each definition of D shall consist of the same sequence of tokens in paragraph 5. So while technically speaking the name you declared inline is accessible from outside a given translation unit, to do so is to cause undefined behavior from C++.