Understanding Structures and Unions in C


Introduction

Structures and unions are composite data types in C that allow you to group variables of different data types under a single name. These data structures are essential for organizing and manipulating data effectively in your programs. In this guide, we'll provide an in-depth explanation of structures and unions, along with sample code to illustrate their usage.


Structures

A structure is a user-defined data type in C that groups variables of different data types under a single name. Each variable within a structure is referred to as a "member" or "field." Structures provide a convenient way to represent and manage complex data.


Sample Code for Structures

#include <stdio.h>
// Define a structure
struct Student {
char name[50];
int age;
float gpa;
};
int main() {
// Declare a structure variable
struct Student student1;
// Initialize structure members
strcpy(student1.name, "Alice");
student1.age = 20;
student1.gpa = 3.7;
// Access and display structure members
printf("Student Info:\\n");
printf("Name: %s\\n", student1.name);
printf("Age: %d\\n", student1.age);
printf("GPA: %.2f\\n", student1.gpa);
return 0;
}

Unions

A union is similar to a structure but has a crucial difference: all members of a union share the same memory location. This means that a union can only store the value of one of its members at a time. Unions are often used to save memory when multiple data types are associated with a single entity.


Sample Code for Unions

#include <stdio.h>
// Define a union
union NumericValue {
int integer;
float floating;
};
int main() {
// Declare a union variable
union NumericValue value;
// Initialize and access union members
value.integer = 42;
printf("Integer Value: %d\\n", value.integer);
value.floating = 3.14159;
printf("Floating Point Value: %.2f\\n", value.floating);
return 0;
}

Conclusion

Structures and unions in C are powerful data structures that facilitate the organization and manipulation of complex data. This guide provided a detailed explanation of structures and unions, along with sample code for both. As you continue your C programming journey, you'll find these data structures to be invaluable for representing and working with various types of data.