invalid initializer error

[msalaz03]

Hello,

My first time posting on this forum so apologies in advance. I am working with an LCD screen that will have multiple menu's so I designed this struct with multiple pointers. However, I am running into this error where I cannot seem to use malloc function. It just keeps saying 'invalid initalizer'

My Code:

#include "main.h"

/* Private includes ----------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN Includes */
	#include "lcd8.h"
	#include <stdint.h>
	#include "stm32f411xe.h"
	#include <string.h>
	#include <stdlib.h>
	#include<stdio.h>
/* USER CODE END Includes */

/* Private typedef -----------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN PTD */

/* USER CODE END PTD */

/* Private define ------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN PD */

/* USER CODE END PD */

/* Private macro -------------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN PM */

/* USER CODE END PM */

/* Private variables ---------------------------------------------------------*/

/* USER CODE BEGIN PV */

/* USER CODE END PV */

/* Private function prototypes -----------------------------------------------*/
void SystemClock_Config(void);
static void MX_GPIO_Init(void);
/* USER CODE BEGIN PFP */

/* USER CODE END PFP */

/* Private user code ---------------------------------------------------------*/
/* USER CODE BEGIN 0 */

/* USER CODE END 0 */

/**
  * @brief  The application entry point.
  * @retval int
  */
int main(void)
{

  /* USER CODE BEGIN 1 */



  /* USER CODE END 1 */

  /* MCU Configuration--------------------------------------------------------*/

  /* Reset of all peripherals, Initializes the Flash interface and the Systick. */
  HAL_Init();

  /* USER CODE BEGIN Init */

  /* USER CODE END Init */

  /* Configure the system clock */
  SystemClock_Config();

  /* USER CODE BEGIN SysInit */

  /* USER CODE END SysInit */

  /* Initialize all configured peripherals */
  MX_GPIO_Init();
  /* USER CODE BEGIN 2 */

  	  typedef struct menu{
  		  char *menuName;
  		  struct menu *prev;
  		  struct menu *next;
  		  struct menu *parent;
  		  struct menu *child;
  	  }menu;
//
//  	  menu menu1;
//  	  menu menu2;
//

  	  //menu initMenu(char* name, menu* prev, menu* next, menu* parent, menu *child){
  	  menu newMenu = (menu*)malloc(sizeof(menu));

Error:

[Andrew Neil]

Where, exactly, is that error reported? it says line 111, but the posted code only goes up to line 92.

Are there any other errors and/or warning?

Show the actual compiler output - it (usually) gives more detail.

[msalaz03]

Hey Andrew, 

Appreciate the quick response, I just posted this but immediately noticed the issue I was just missing a '*' on my definition of my variable.

Thank you.

[Tesla DeLorean · Accepted solution]

You perhaps can't initialize a variable from a function call? You could do it in two stages, and it needs to be a pointer

...

menu *newMenu;

newMenu = (menu*)malloc(sizeof(menu));

...

newMenu->menuName = strmalloc("Test Menu");

calloc() might be more appropriate