PRB: C2001: Newline in Constant for a String on Multiple Lines

Last reviewed: January 18, 1996
Article ID: Q40160

The information in this article applies to:

The Microsoft C/C++ Compiler (CL.EXE) included with:

    - Microsoft C for MS-DOS, versions 6.0, 6.0a, and 6.0ax
    - Microsoft C for OS/2, versions 6.0 and 6.0a
    - Microsoft C/C++ for MS-DOS, version 7.0
    - Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.5, and 1.51
    - Microsoft Visual C++ 32-bit Edition, versions 1.0, 2.0, and 2.1

SYMPTOMS

If program contains a string literal that is incorrectly split over multiple lines the following error will occur:

   error C 2001: newline in constant

Several other errors may be caused by this also. This sample will also give errors C2065, C2121, C2143, and C2198 as a result of the newline errors.

CAUSE

This is a common programming mistake. Special considerations must be taken to split a constant string over several lines.

RESOLUTION

The best method is to change the format string, as in the following example (this works because strings separated only by spaces, tabs, and/or newlines are concatenated as specified by the ANSI standard):

   printf("\n %s"
          " %s"
          " %s",
          "this", "is", "it");

The older and less-preferred method is to use continuation lines by typing a backslash followed by a carriage return at the end of a line, as in the following example:

   printf("\n %s\
          %s\
          %s",
          "this", "is", "it");

This is not as good as the previous example because the spaces at the beginning of the continuation line become part of the string, unlike the first example.

MORE INFORMATION

Sample Code

#include <stdio.h>
void main()

{

   printf("\n %s"
          " %s"
          " %s",
          "this", "is", "it");
}

Additional reference words: 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.10 6.00 6.00a 6.00ax 7.00 8.00
8.00c 9.00 9.10
KBCategory: kbtool kbprb
KBSubcategory: CLIss

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Last reviewed: January 18, 1996
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