Error "member function redeclaration not allowed" with boost::thread

Question

I have this problem with boost::thread that i cannot solve.

I have a classX.h file:

#include <boost/thread/thread.hpp>
class classX{

    ...
    void startWork(void);
    void doWork(void);
    ...

}

and then a .cpp file:

...
void classX::startWork(){
boost::thread(&doWork);
}
void classX::doWork(){
...
}

I cannot compile, i obtein the error (at the line in which i do boost::thread(&doWork)):

error C2761: 'void plsa_mt_2::doWork(void)' : member function redeclaration not allowed

Is this error related with the thread creation or with something else? What can i do to solve it?

Answer 1

Since classX::doWork() is a member function of classX, you can't call the member function pointer (&classX::doWork) without providing a pointer to a classX.

The Boostiest way to accomplish this is by using Boost Bind to create a callable functor with the member function pointer and a pointer to the classX, like so:

void classX::startWork() {
boost::thread t(boost::bind(&classX::doWork, this)); // be careful, the boost::thread will be destroyed when this function returns
}

You could alternatively make doWork() a static member function or a global function if doWork() doesn't need access to instance properties of the classX: