When using LiquidCrystal_I2C.h library, why am I getting "invalid header file" in TinkerCad?

Question

This is a link to the guy that made the project work, it seems that I'm unable to make it work by myself: the project.

What am I doing wrong?

    /* DICTIONARY - CC = ConClusion ; */
    /* LEGEND - Serial legend - */
    /* README - */
    #define TRIG 7
    #define ECHO 8
    #define PB_1 2
    #include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
    #include <Wire.h>
    LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,16,2);
    
    uint32_t loop_count = 0;
    long duration;
    int distance;
    volatile byte LCD_State = 0;
    unsigned long lastChange;
    void setup()
    {
     pinMode(TRIG,OUTPUT);
     pinMode(ECHO,INPUT);
     Serial.begin(115200);
     
     attachInterrupt(digitalPinToInterrupt(PB_1),LCD_to_ON,RISING);
      
     lcd.begin();
     lcd.backlight();
     
    }
    
    void loop()
    {
     loop_count++;
     if (LCD_State == 1 && (millis() - lastChange) >= 600000/*time corresponding to LCD Screens ON-time, CC=changable*/ )
     {
        LCD_State = 0;
     }
      
     Serial.print(loop_count);
     Serial.print(" ");
     Serial.print(":");
     Serial.print("  ");
      
     digitalWrite(TRIG, LOW);
     delayMicroseconds(2);
     digitalWrite(TRIG, HIGH);
     delayMicroseconds(10);
     digitalWrite(TRIG, LOW);
     duration = pulseIn(ECHO, HIGH);
     distance = duration * 0.034 / 2;
     Serial.print(distance);
     Serial.print("   ");
      
     if(LCD_State == 0)
      {
       Serial.print(LCD_State);
      }
     else if(LCD_State == 1)
     {
       Serial.print(LCD_State);
     }
      Serial.print("   ");
      Serial.print(millis());
      Serial.print("   ");
      Serial.print(lastChange);
      Serial.print("   ");
       if(LCD_State == 1)
       {
        Serial.print("OK, L_ON");
       }
       else if(LCD_State == 0)
       {
        Serial.print("OK, L_OFF");
       }
       
      Serial.println();
      delay(10);//Just for the TINKERCAD, remove from hardware-based version
    }
     
     void LCD_to_ON()
       {
        LCD_State = 1;
       lastChange = millis();
       }

Error:

invalid header file

How the SM output should look with LCD without I2C:

Ancillary information

(unimportant to the issue)

BTW the code is for measuring water level and displaying it on the display. After I buy the hardware and when it finally ships, I will add a lot more (requiring MEGA2560 or even DUE)-

More complex: It will measure the water level and the temp of the surroundings(maybe even the water itself). It will turn on/off the Water pump using my fathers scheme for turning big relay on/off with two buttons but instead of buttons I will use smaller relays for automatization.I will insure that it doesnt malfunction with the arduino-off state being 0 for the pump and 2 pairs of electrodes or sum mounted on the top of the water tank.- when they complete the circuit because of unpredicted water level the program will stop the pump. I will need to measure and convert the readings like 60 times(add x liters of water = y meter increase) because the water tank is positioned horizontally so the calculations would be difficult. I will need to create a website or sum and send the data to it -(W5500) , log of time-(RTC DS3231 I2C ). Plus alot more.

If I find no solution I will probably have to start programming it raw earlier than I expected, It's just that everyday I find better components and more to use in my project, i will either wait and order once || not wait and order multiple times. And with that all I'm sure I will still probably regret my purchases

Where is the LiquidCrystal_I2C.h file? Do you have LiquidCrystal_I2C library installed? What happens if you try to compile it in the Arduino IDE, as a sanity check? FWIW, the "invalid header file" response is a generic response to a function call or constructor in your sketch not matching what's in a library's header file. So you are probably calling something in LiquidCrystal_I2C incorrectly. — Greenonline
– Greenonline, Commented Mar 14 at 19:38
... like lcd.begin(), which should be void begin(uint8_t cols, uint8_t rows, uint8_t charsize = LCD_5x8DOTS ); — Greenonline
– Greenonline, Commented Mar 14 at 19:51
please add all of the message from the compiler ... it should be much more than invalid header file — jsotola
– jsotola, Commented Mar 14 at 22:08

Greenonline · Accepted Answer · 2025-03-15 22:20:01Z

Missing arguments to `begin()`

You need to specify more arguments to lcd.begin(), you currently do not specify any.

From LiquidCrystal_I2C.h

  void begin(uint8_t cols, uint8_t rows, uint8_t charsize = LCD_5x8DOTS );

You need to pass two (or three) parameters, like so:

lcd.begin(numRows, chSize);

Obviously after first declaring, and assigning values to, numRows and chSize.

Note that the third argument is optional, as a default (LCD_5x8DOTS) is specified in the declaration in the header.

Reason for the ambiguous error

First of all, the error message is really misleading:

As you are incorrectly calling the begin() function, TinkerCad just spits out its generic error message: "Invalid header file". This usually means that you have called a function/member incorrectly, which doesn't align with the declaration in the header file.

Note: The header file isn't (necessarily) invalid, instead it is more likely that it is your call that is invalid.

The Arduino IDE gives a much more useful, and informative, set of errors:

/private/var/folders/6b/9xc3xm_944n6xhwc12_s2c7h0000gn/T/.arduinoIDE-unsaved2025214-42214-1iranv3.clms/sketch_mar14b/sketch_mar14b.ino: In function 'void setup()':
/private/var/folders/6b/9xc3xm_944n6xhwc12_s2c7h0000gn/T/.arduinoIDE-unsaved2025214-42214-1iranv3.clms/sketch_mar14b/sketch_mar14b.ino:24:16: error: no matching function for call to 'LiquidCrystal_I2C::begin()'
      lcd.begin();
                ^
In file included from /private/var/folders/6b/9xc3xm_944n6xhwc12_s2c7h0000gn/T/.arduinoIDE-unsaved2025214-42214-1iranv3.clms/sketch_mar14b/sketch_mar14b.ino:7:0:
/Users/macbook/Documents/Arduino/libraries/LiquidCrystal_I2C/LiquidCrystal_I2C.h:58:8: note: candidate: void LiquidCrystal_I2C::begin(uint8_t, uint8_t, uint8_t)
   void begin(uint8_t cols, uint8_t rows, uint8_t charsize = LCD_5x8DOTS );
        ^~~~~
/Users/macbook/Documents/Arduino/libraries/LiquidCrystal_I2C/LiquidCrystal_I2C.h:58:8: note:   candidate expects 3 arguments, 0 provided
/private/var/folders/6b/9xc3xm_944n6xhwc12_s2c7h0000gn/T/.arduinoIDE-unsaved2025214-42214-1iranv3.clms/sketch_mar14b/sketch_mar14b.ino: At global scope:
/private/var/folders/6b/9xc3xm_944n6xhwc12_s2c7h0000gn/T/.arduinoIDE-unsaved2025214-42214-1iranv3.clms/sketch_mar14b/sketch_mar14b.ino:83:1: error: 'Error' does not name a type; did you mean 'perror'?
 Error:
 ^~~~~
 perror

exit status 1

Compilation error: no matching function for call to 'LiquidCrystal_I2C::begin()'

Final thought

That code might be really old and/or using an older version of the library (or a variant thereof) in which the function begin() did not take any arguments. It might be worth trying to find that alternate version - although, it would be best to fix the code for the current library.

Thanks, at the very least it doesn't show the error anymore. But why isn't this working? E: why cant i send pictures in the comments? code : #include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h> #include <Wire.h> LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,16,2); void setup() { Serial.begin(115200); lcd.begin(16,2,LCD_5x8DOTS ); lcd.backlight(); } void loop() { lcd.clear(); lcd.setCursor(0, 0); lcd.print("Printed"); delay(1000); } VCC-5V GND-GND SDA-A4 SCL-A5 — PalyPvP
– PalyPvP, Commented Mar 15 at 9:29
@user29682184 Since this is not a forum, comments are not the place for follow-up (and therefore new) questions, and not for images or source at all. You can edit your question to add the not yet answered part. You might want to take the tour to learn more. — the busybee
– the busybee, Commented Mar 15 at 11:43
Please do not change the question, otherwise it will become a moving target. Now that the compile issue has been fixed, this question is finished. The new issue that you see needs to be asked as a separate question. — Greenonline
– Greenonline, Commented Mar 15 at 14:53
@thebusybee - it would be better to ask a new question as the original issue that this question focused on has been fixed. — Greenonline
– Greenonline, Commented Mar 15 at 14:53
@user29682184 - You can't post images in the comments. And, as you have found, code is unreadable. That is because the comment section is only intended to ask for clarifications, but not provide more information. Comments get deleted over time. This additional information (i.e. images and code) should be posted in a (new) question post only, thanks - new because this question has already been answered: See one question per post, please. However, please do not post screenshots of console output or code. — Greenonline
– Greenonline, Commented Mar 15 at 22:29

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When using LiquidCrystal_I2C.h library, why am I getting "invalid header file" in TinkerCad?

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Missing arguments to `begin()`

Reason for the ambiguous error

Final thought

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When using LiquidCrystal_I2C.h library, why am I getting "invalid header file" in TinkerCad?

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Missing arguments to begin()

Reason for the ambiguous error

Final thought

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Missing arguments to `begin()`