Difference Between Struct and Typedef Struct in C++ Last Updated : 23 May, 2024 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report In C++, the struct keyword is used to define a struct, whereas the typedef keyword is used for creating an alias(new name) for existing datatypes and user-defined datatypes like class, struct, and union to give them more meaningful names. In this article, we will learn the differences between a struct and a typedef struct in C++. Struct in C++ The struct keyword in C++ is used to define a structure. A structure is a user-defined composite data type that allows us to combine data of different data types together under a single name. Syntax to Define a Structstruct StructName { data_type member_name1; data_type member_name2;};Here, StructName is the name of the structure.member_name are the members (variables or functions) of the structure.ExampleThe below example demonstrates the use of structure in C++. C++ // C++ program to use struct in C++ #include <iostream> using namespace std; // define a struct MyStruct struct MyStruct { int num; void increase() { num += 5; } }; int main() { // create object of MyStruct struct MyStruct obj; // access variable using dot operator obj.num = 5; // access member function using dot operator obj.increase(); // printing the value of num cout << "Number is: " << obj.num; } OutputNumber is: 10Typedef Struct in C++The typedef struct in C++ is used to define a structure and create an alias for it. This allows us to use the alias instead of the struct keyword when defining variables of the structure type. Syntax to Define a Typedef Structtypedef struct { // members} AliasName;Here, AliasName is the alias name for the structure.members are the variables or functions of the structure.ExampleThe below example demonstrates the use of typedef struct in C++. C++ // C++ program to use typedef struct in C++ #include <iostream> using namespace std; // define a typedef struct MyStruct typedef struct { int num; void increase() { num += 5; } } MyStruct; int main() { // create object of MyStruct MyStruct obj; // access variable using dot operator obj.num = 5; // access member function using dot operator obj.increase(); // printing the value of num cout << "Number is: " << obj.num; } OutputNumber is: 10Difference Between Struct and Typedef Struct in C++The below table demonstrates the key differences between struct and typedef struct in C++ are: Feature Struct Typedef Struct Definition Used to define a structure with the struct keyword.Used to define a structure and create an alias for it.Syntax struct StructName { members }; typedef struct { members } AliasName; Instantiation Requires 'struct' keyword for declaration and instantiation. Does not require 'struct' keyword when declaring objects of the type. Purpose Groups together different data types into a single unit. Simplifies the syntax for using the structure, reducing code verbosity. Usage of Aliases Cannot directly create an alias for the type name Allows creating an alias for the type name, improving code readability Additional Typedefs Cannot create multiple typedefs for the same struct Can create multiple typedefs for the same struct, providing flexibility in naming Conclusion In conclusion, the choice between struct and typedef struct in C++ depends on whether we want to use the struct keyword every time we define a variable of the structure type. If we want to avoid this, we can use typedef struct to create an alias for the structure. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Difference Between Struct and Typedef Struct in C++ M memegubu0c Follow Improve Article Tags : C++ Programs C++ cpp-struct CPP Examples Practice Tags : CPP Similar Reads Difference Between int and size_t in C++ In C++, both int and size_t are very important data types that are used to represent integers. However, there are some key differences between them that the users should be aware of. In this article, we will learn the differences between int and size_t in C++. Integer Data Type in C++The int data ty 4 min read Difference Between Pointers and Array Notations in C++ In C++, pointers and array notations are two ways using which we work with arrays and memory for accessing the data. They have distinct behaviours and are used in different contexts. In this article, we will learn the key differences between pointers and array notations in C++. Difference Between Po 4 min read Difference between Containership and Inheritance in C++ Containership: When an object of one class is created into another class then that object will be a member of that class, this type of relationship between the classes is known as containership or has_a relationship as one class contains the object of another class. The class which contains the obje 4 min read How to Create an Array of Structs in C++? In C++, a struct is a user-defined data type that allows us to combine data of different types and an array of structs is an array in which each element is of the struct type. In this article, we will learn how to create an array of structs in C++. Creating an Array of Structs in C++To create an arr 2 min read <type_traits> Header in C++ The <type_traits> header in C++ is a part of the metaprogramming library introduced in C++ 11. It is a collection of tools to help our code work with different data types. It contains Helper Classes which are standard classes that assist in creating compile-time constants, Type Traits, classes 7 min read How to Create a Stack of User-Defined Data Type in C++? In C++, we have a stack data structure that follows the LIFO (Last In First Out) rule and allows operations such as push, pop, and top at one end of the structure. In this article, we will learn how to create a stack of user-defined data types in C++. Example: Input://user defined data typestruct Po 2 min read How to Create std::vector of Custom Classes or Structs in C++? In C++, std::vectors are dynamic arrays that can resize themselves during the runtime, and classes or structs allow the users to create custom data types of their choice. There might be many situations when we want to store a custom data type into a vector. In this article, we will learn how to crea 3 min read Data type of a Pointer in C++ A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of an object. The pointer then simply âpointsâ to the object. The type of the object must correspond with the type of the pointer. Pointers are used extensively in both C and C++ for three main purposes: To allocate new objects on the heap.To pa 5 min read boost is_pointer template in C++ The is_pointer template of Boost library is used to check whether the given type is a pointer or not. It returns a boolean value showing the same. Header Files: #include "boost/type_traits.hpp" or #include "boost/type_traits/is_pointer.hpp" Template Class: template <class T> struct is_pointer 3 min read Classes vs Structure vs Union in C++ Class: It is a user-defined datatype enclosed with variables and functions. It is like a blueprint for an object. Class members are private by default. For Example, the car is an object, its color, design, weight are its attributes whereas the brake, speed limit, etc. are its functions. Syntax: clas 4 min read Like