title: What does the compiler error "missing binary operator before token" mean?
body: <p>I recently got the following error when trying to compile with gcc:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>error: missing binary operator before token "("</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Web and SO searches came up with several specific examples of this error, with specific code changes to fix them.   But I found no general description of what condition causes this error to be issued.</p>
  
  <p>When and why does gcc emit this error?</p>