Structures

Structures in C

What is a Structure?

A Structure (often called a struct) is a user-defined data type that allows you to combine data of different types (int, char, float, etc.) into a single unit.

Think of it as a template for a record. For example, if you want to store information about a "Student," you need a name (string), a roll number (int), and marks (float). A structure allows you to wrap all of these into one "Student" variable.

Syntax

The struct keyword is used to define the template, and then you declare variables of that structure type.

        struct StructureName {

            data_type member1;

            data_type member2;

        }; // Don't forget the semicolon!

Practical Example

Example: Creating a 'Book' Record

// 1. Define the structure
struct Book {
    char title[50];
    int pages;
    float price;
};

int main() {
    // 2. Declare a structure variable
    struct Book myBook = {"C Programming", 250, 499.50};

    // 3. Access members using the dot (.) operator
    printf("Book: %s, Price: %.2f", myBook.title, myBook.price);
    
    return 0;
}

📍 The Dot (.) Operator

To access the "insides" of a structure variable, we use a period (the dot operator). For example, myBook.pages tells the computer: "Go to the variable myBook and find the pages member inside it."

Array vs. Structure: Use an Array for a list of similar things (like 100 integers). Use a Structure for a single object with different attributes (like a User profile with a name, age, and email).

Example

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