Error: cannot specify explicit initializer for array

Question

I'm using Visual Studios 2013 and I keep getting this error yet I don't understand why.

class CLI{
 string commands[2] = {"create", "login"};
public:
 void addCommand(), start(), getCommand(string);
};

The error:

error C2536: 'CLI::CLI::commands': cannot specify explicit initializer for arrays

• Qaz: It should work fine. Out of curiosity, does this one work for you?
• WhozCraig: I won't ask what this is supposed to be: void addCommand(), start(), getCommand(string);, since it isn't related to your question.
• Tobias Brandt: You cannot initialize class members in this way before C++11. You need to do it in a constructor instead.
• Tobias Brandt: @chris: I said before C++11.
• Qaz: @TobiasBrandt, It's getting better. They are actually putting in a big effort to get caught up in that regard. I'm guessing VS2015 will be (nearly?) finished with C++14, which is much better than they did for C++11 at least. VS2014 should have most of it, too.

Answer 1

Visual Studio 2013 is not completely C++11 compliant, so, like Tobias Brandt said, you'll need to use a constructor to initialize those members.

Braced init lists are a C++11 feature.

Answer 2

I don't think that in-class member initializers are implemented in VC2013. Instead, initialize the array in a constructor. For example:

class CLI{
 string commands[2];
public:
 CLI() : commands {"create", "login"}
 {}
};

• Ethan: I get the same error involving "cannot specify explicit initializer for arrays" when using the constructor
• Ricky65: It's not supported then. You'll have to initialize it in the constructor then. e.g "CLI(){commands[0] = "create";commands[1] = "login";}"