error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token?

I'm trying to compile a cpp file using mex (changeanalysis.cpp). I have Matlab R2012a, Xcode 4.6 on a MAC OS X 10.7. In the file changeanalysis.cpp, aef_global_dllexport.h is included. Some part of aef_global_dllexport.h is as follows:

    ////////////////////////
    // DLL EXPORT FUNCTIONS
    ////////////////////////
    #define DLLEXPORT _declspec(dllexport)

    DLLEXPORT double maha_dist_3D_ex(   double          x,
                                        double          y,
                                        double          z,
                                        double*         mean,
                                        double**        icovm);

    DLLEXPORT int matrix_inv_ND_ex(     double**        matND,
                                        double&         det,
                                        int             Dim);

    DLLEXPORT int matrix_copy3x3_ex(    double**        x, 
                                        double**        y);
    .
    .
    .
When I compile the file changeanalysis.cpp, I get the following error message at the command prompt:

mex -I"/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB" changeanalysis.cpp

In file included from changeanalysis.cpp:58:

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:7: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:13: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:17: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:20: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:22: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:24: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:29: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:31: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:50: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

/Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:75: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token /Users/marzi/Documents/MATLAB/aef_global_dllexport.h:100: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before '(' token

mex: compile of ' "changeanalysis.cpp"' failed.

Error using mex (line 206) Unable to complete successfully.

Does anyone know how to fix this or what is the cause of this error?

Thanks.

Answer 1

[Geoff Hayes]

Try including two underscores in front of declspec

 #define DLLEXPORT __declspec(dllexport)