> What is wrong with the following code?  Why won't it accept
 > the parameter for qsort?

A non-static class member function is not like a normal function. You can't
mix and match them.

The short answer:

class phone_database {
[..]
    /* compare two record_phone objects for sorting purposes */
    static int cmp(const void *a, const void *b){
        if (**(record_phone**)a > **(record_phone**)b) return 1;
        if (**(record_phone**)a < **(record_phone**)b) return -1;
        return 0;
        }
[..]

 > I keep getting "Use :: to take pointer to member function"
 > errors, but no matter how many ways I use the :: operator, it
 > won't accept the parameter.

Yup.

Consider what a member function is and does, particularly in relation to
the 'this' pointer. 'static' removes these special qualities.

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