FIX: C1001 Internal Compiler Error in MAIN.C File Line 374 (128213)

SYMPTOMS

Defining a static member function together with a user-defined class destructor in a class that is used only as a return type of a member function in another class may cause the Microsoft C++ compiler version 9.0 to generate the following compiler error:

fatal error C1001: INTERNAL COMPILER ERROR
(compiler file 'd:\b_bld\c2.m2\p2\main.c', line 374)
Please choose the Technical Support command on the Visual C++ Help menu, or open the Technical Support help file for more information

The sample code in the More Information section below demonstrates this problem.

RESOLUTION

To work around the problem, use one of the following suggestions:

Instead of using the chain notation to call the static member function, break the statement into two statements. For example,
```
      b.GetClassA().problem(10);     // error

      a = b.GetClassA();             // work-around
      a.problem(10);
						
```
where a is an instance of class A, b is an instance of class B based on the sample code below. -or-
Define the static member function as a non-static member function. -or-
Instead of returning object A for function GetClassA() in the following sample code, return a reference to A.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This bug was corrected in Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, version 4.0.

MORE INFORMATION

The sample code below can be used to generate the C1001 error.

Sample Code

/* Compile options needed: none
*/ 

class A
{
  public:
  ~A() {}
  static void problem(int a) {}
};

class B
{
  public:
  A GetClassA();
};

void main()
{
  B b;
  b.GetClassA().problem(10);
}