Buuild error from boost in actions_quiz while instantiating SimpleActionServer with custom action

Course Support ROS Basics In 5 Days (C++)
1

Hey, I’m facing an annoying build error in the actions quiz:

[ 97%] Building CXX object actions_quiz/CMakeFiles/ardrone_takeoff.dir/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp.o
In file included from /usr/include/boost/bind.hpp:22,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/publisher.h:35,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/node_handle.h:32,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/ros.h:45,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h:41,
                 from /home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:1:
/usr/include/boost/bind/bind.hpp: In instantiation of 'void boost::_bi::list2<A1, A2>::operator()(boost::_bi::type<void>, F&, A&, int) [withF = boost::_mfi::mf1<void, TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>; A = boost::_bi::rrlist1<const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>; A1 = boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>; A2 = boost::arg<1>]':
/usr/include/boost/bind/bind.hpp:1306:50:   required from 'boost::_bi::bind_t<R, F, L>::result_type boost::_bi::bind_t<R, F, L>::operator()(A1&&) [with A1 = const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&; R = void; F = boost::_mfi::mf1<void, TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>; L = boost::_bi::list2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> >; boost::_bi::bind_t<R, F, L>::result_type = void]'
/usr/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:158:11:   required from 'static void boost::detail::function::void_function_obj_invoker1<FunctionObj, R, T0>::invoke(boost::detail::function::function_buffer&, T0) [with FunctionObj = boost::_bi::bind_t<void, boost::_mfi::mf1<void,TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>, boost::_bi::list2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> > >; R = void; T0 = const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&]'
/usr/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:931:38:   required from 'void boost::function1<R, T1>::assign_to(Functor) [with Functor = boost::_bi::bind_t<void, boost::_mfi::mf1<void, TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>, boost::_bi::list2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> > >; R = void; T0 = const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&]'
/usr/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:720:7:   required from 'boost::function1<R, T1>::function1(Functor, typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<T>::value), int>::type) [with Functor = boost::_bi::bind_t<void, boost::_mfi::mf1<void, TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>, boost::_bi::list2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> > >; R = void; T0 = const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&; typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<T>::value), int>::type = int]'
/usr/include/boost/function/function_template.hpp:1068:16:   required from 'boost::function<R(T0)>::function(Functor, typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<T>::value), int>::type) [with Functor = boost::_bi::bind_t<void, boost::_mfi::mf1<void, TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>, boost::_bi::list2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> > >; R = void; T0 = const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&; typename boost::enable_if_<(! boost::is_integral<T>::value), int>::type = int]'
/home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:35:26:   required from here
/usr/include/boost/bind/bind.hpp:319:35: error: no match for call to '(boost::_mfi::mf1<void, TakeoffLandAction, const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>) (TakeoffLandAction*&, const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&)'
  319 |         unwrapper<F>::unwrap(f, 0)(a[base_type::a1_], a[base_type::a2_]);
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from /usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn.hpp:215,
                 from /usr/include/boost/mem_fn.hpp:22,
                 from /usr/include/boost/function/detail/prologue.hpp:18,
                 from /usr/include/boost/function.hpp:30,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/forwards.h:40,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/common.h:37,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/ros.h:43,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h:41,
                 from /home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:1:
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:163:7: note: candidate: 'R boost::_mfi::mf1<R, T, A1>::operator()(T*, A1) const [with R = void; T = TakeoffLandAction; A1 = const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&]'
  163 |     R operator()(T * p, A1 a1) const
      |       ^~~~~~~~
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:163:28: note:   no known conversion for argument 2 from 'const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >' to 'const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&'
  163 |     R operator()(T * p, A1 a1) const
      |                         ~~~^~
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:168:25: note: candidate: 'template<class U> R boost::_mfi::mf1<R, T, A1>::operator()(U&, A1) const [with U = U; R = void; T = TakeoffLandAction; A1 = const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&]'
  168 |     template<class U> R operator()(U & u, A1 a1) const
      |                         ^~~~~~~~
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:168:25: note:   template argument deduction/substitution failed:
In file included from /usr/include/boost/bind.hpp:22,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/publisher.h:35,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/node_handle.h:32,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/ros.h:45,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h:41,
                 from /home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:1:
/usr/include/boost/bind/bind.hpp:319:35: note:   cannot convert '(& a)->boost::_bi::rrlist1<const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>::operator[](boost::_bi::storage2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> >::a2_)' (type 'const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >') to type 'const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&'
  319 |         unwrapper<F>::unwrap(f, 0)(a[base_type::a1_], a[base_type::a2_]);
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from /usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn.hpp:215,
                 from /usr/include/boost/mem_fn.hpp:22,
                 from /usr/include/boost/function/detail/prologue.hpp:18,
                 from /usr/include/boost/function.hpp:30,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/forwards.h:40,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/common.h:37,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/ros.h:43,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h:41,
                 from /home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:1:
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:176:25: note: candidate: 'template<class U> R boost::_mfi::mf1<R, T, A1>::operator()(const U&, A1) const [with U = U; R = void; T = TakeoffLandAction; A1 = const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> >>&]'
  176 |     template<class U> R operator()(U const & u, A1 a1) const
      |                         ^~~~~~~~
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:176:25: note:   template argument deduction/substitution failed:
In file included from /usr/include/boost/bind.hpp:22,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/publisher.h:35,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/node_handle.h:32,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/ros.h:45,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h:41,
                 from /home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:1:
/usr/include/boost/bind/bind.hpp:319:35: note:   cannot convert '(& a)->boost::_bi::rrlist1<const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&>::operator[](boost::_bi::storage2<boost::_bi::value<TakeoffLandAction*>, boost::arg<1> >::a2_)' (type 'const boost::shared_ptr<const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >') to type 'const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&'
  319 |         unwrapper<F>::unwrap(f, 0)(a[base_type::a1_], a[base_type::a2_]);
      |         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from /usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn.hpp:215,
                 from /usr/include/boost/mem_fn.hpp:22,
                 from /usr/include/boost/function/detail/prologue.hpp:18,
                 from /usr/include/boost/function.hpp:30,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/forwards.h:40,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/common.h:37,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/ros/ros.h:43,
                 from /opt/ros/noetic/include/actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h:41,
                 from /home/user/catkin_ws/src/actions_quiz/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp:1:
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:184:7: note: candidate: 'R boost::_mfi::mf1<R, T, A1>::operator()(T&, A1) const [with R = void; T = TakeoffLandAction; A1 = const boost::shared_ptr<actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoal_<std::allocator<void> > >&]'
  184 |     R operator()(T & t, A1 a1) const
      |       ^~~~~~~~
/usr/include/boost/bind/mem_fn_template.hpp:184:22: note:   no known conversion for argument 1 from 'TakeoffLandAction*' to 'TakeoffLandAction&'
  184 |     R operator()(T & t, A1 a1) const
      |                  ~~~~^
make[2]: *** [actions_quiz/CMakeFiles/ardrone_takeoff.dir/build.make:63: actions_quiz/CMakeFiles/ardrone_takeoff.dir/src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [CMakeFiles/Makefile2:660: actions_quiz/CMakeFiles/ardrone_takeoff.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [Makefile:141: all] Error 2
Invoking "make -j36 -l36" failed

I’m unable to find the error whether I’m doing something wrong in my includes or in my CMakeLists.txt or package.xml. The offending line and the preceding includes:

    #include <actionlib/TestAction.h>
#include <actionlib/server/simple_action_server.h>
#include <geometry_msgs/Twist.h>
#include <ros/ros.h>
#include <std_msgs/Empty.h>

class MoveSquareAction {
protected:
  ros::NodeHandle nh_;
  // NodeHandle instance must be created before this line. Otherwise strange
  // error occurs.
  actionlib::SimpleActionServer<actionlib::TestAction> as_;
  std::string action_name_;

My CMakeLists.txt

    cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0.2)
project(actions_quiz)

## Find catkin macros and libraries
## if COMPONENTS list like find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS xyz)
## is used, also find other catkin packages
find_package(catkin REQUIRED COMPONENTS
  actionlib
  actionlib_msgs
  roscpp
  std_msgs
)

## Generate actions in the 'action' folder
add_action_files(
  FILES
  CustomActionMsg.action
#   Action1.action
#   Action2.action
)

## Generate added messages and services with any dependencies listed here
generate_messages(
  DEPENDENCIES
  actionlib_msgs
  std_msgs
)
catkin_package(
#  INCLUDE_DIRS include
#  LIBRARIES actions_quiz
 CATKIN_DEPENDS actionlib actionlib_msgs roscpp
#  DEPENDS system_lib
)

###########
## Build ##
###########

## Specify additional locations of header files
## Your package locations should be listed before other locations
include_directories(
# include
  ${catkin_INCLUDE_DIRS}
)

add_executable(ardrone_takeoff src/ardrone_takeoff_land.cpp)
add_dependencies(ardrone_takeoff actions_quiz_generate_messages_cpp ${ardrone_takeoff_EXPORTED_TARGETS} ${catkin_EXPORTED_TARGETS})

target_link_libraries(ardrone_takeoff
  ${catkin_LIBRARIES}
)

My package.xml’s main part:

  <buildtool_depend>catkin</buildtool_depend>
  <build_depend>actionlib</build_depend>
  <build_depend>actionlib_msgs</build_depend>
  <build_depend>roscpp</build_depend>

  <build_export_depend>actionlib</build_export_depend>
  <build_export_depend>actionlib_msgs</build_export_depend>
  <build_export_depend>roscpp</build_export_depend>
  
  <exec_depend>actionlib</exec_depend>
  <exec_depend>actionlib_msgs</exec_depend>
  <exec_depend>roscpp</exec_depend>
2

Hi, you first need to identify where the error is coming from. I suggest first checking that everything compiled correctly by doing

cd ~/catkin_ws
rm -rf build/ devel/
catkin_make

And if this doesn’t work move on to the definition of your custom action message and server.

3

Hey @roalgoal,
Thanks for the advice but my issue was the build failing in a cryptic way on type inference. The mistake was a missing Const in my executeCB’s definition
Build failed with:
void executeCB(const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoalPtr &goal) {

and passed with:
void executeCB(const actions_quiz::CustomActionMsgGoalConstPtr &goal) {

:man_facepalming: