1.#QNAN error C++

Question

I am new to programming and trying to write a new program. While checking through my program it is returning the error code 1.#QNAN. I have tried isolating the variable and researching for answers but cannot find any solutions.

My code:

 // This is a program to decide what culvert should be properly used for a specific installation
// using given measurements and data
//
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>

using namespace std;
// initializing functions 
double slope_function();
double cbasin();
// initializing classes: Subdivisions specs

//intitializing global variables
double edge_road =0;
double up_stream  =0;
double down_stream =0;
double tbm =0.0;

//double culv_length =0;
double slope = 0.0 ;
char street_name[1001];
int min_culv = 15;
double up_strm_culv =0;
double dwn_strm_culv =0;


int main (int nNumberofArgs, char* pszArgs[])
{
    cout<< "This program will allow the surveyor to double check their calculations\n";
    cout << "in deciding what size, type, and requirements are allowed for the\n";
    cout << "installation of culverts in Terrebonne Parish.\n\n";



// begin input
   cout << "what is the name of the street\nwhere the culverts will be installed: ";
   cin.getline (street_name,1000);
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the Benchmark: ";
   cin >> tbm;
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the elevation of the edge of the road: ";
   cin >> edge_road;
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the up-stream culvert size: ";
   cin >> up_strm_culv;
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the culverts up-stream inverted elevation: ";
   cin >> up_stream;
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the down-stream culvert size: ";
   cin >> dwn_strm_culv;
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the culverts down-stream inverted elevation: ";
   cin >> down_stream;
   cout << endl;
   cout << "What is the length of culvert requested: ";
   cin >> culv_length;


   cout << "Your slope is : "; 
   cout << slope_function();
   cout << endl;
   cout << street_name;
   cout << endl;
   cout << cbasin();


    cout << endl;
  // wait until user is ready before terminating program
  // to allow the user to see the program results 
  system ("pause");
  return 0;
}  

// slope function 
double slope_function()
{
    double riseoverrun = 0.0;
    slope = (up_stream - down_stream)/ culv_length;
    return slope;
}


// Catch Basin function
double cbasin ( )
{
    double cb = 0;
    cb = culv_length / 60;
    cout << endl;
    cout << "You need ";
   cout << cb;
   cout << " catch basins for this job.";
   cout << endl;
}

Answer 1

1#QNAN is a string representation for a "quiet NAN". A "NAN" is "not-a-number" and applies only to floats and doubles.

NANs can be very useful actually for representing "null" values (rather than picking some genuine number and hoping for the best you don't need that number for its natural meaning).

Some mathematical operations can return a NAN if the operation is "not valid" (eg taking the log of a negative number).

You can generate a QNAN from C++ using

double d = std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN();

Any comparison operation (==, <= etc) on a NAN returns false, even comparing its equality to itself, except for != which always returns true (even when comparing to itself).

(The actual bug in your code appears to be a function that returns double but has no return statement).