[Dev-C++] Dev - C++ function syntax problem

[Peter C. <pet...@li...>]

Hello  I  started learning C++ a week ago, and was beginning to think it 
wasn't half as difficult as it's made out to be.  Then I tried a minimalist 
program to demonstrate the syntax of calling a function.

With the program below I get the compiler message " parse error before 
'{'  " relating to opening curly bracket of return s1* s2.  Any ideas about 
what is wrong, nothing I do cures it.

#include <iostream.h>
int area( int s1, int s2);
int main()
{
int vol;
vol = area(12, 13);
int area( int s1, int s2 )
{
return s1*s2;
}
return 0;
}

 From Peter Cartwright